The Eastern Equatoria State government on Friday handed back 23 heads of cattle stolen in early February 2021 to the rightful owners from Loudo village in Torit. County.
Torit County commissioner Atari Jacob after the handover, says there were 38 heads of cattle stolen from Mutaram area in Loudo Village Bur Payam by alleged youth from Mura-Hatiha early February, Radio Emmanuel reported.
He mentions that they manage to return 23 cattle to people of Loudo village and 8 cattle to butchers whose cattle were also stolen.
Commissioner Atari says 15 herds of cattle are remaining that will be returned in oneweek time.
“We are distributing the stolen cows that were been stolen from Loudo there are about thirty eight herd of cattle by some of the criminals from Mura-Hatiha there are also some four cattle stolen from the butchers here on the 5th of July when I went for operation in Mura-Hatiha to recover the thirty herd of cattle’s ,I also bring in the issue of five cattle’s of the butchers which were stolen also to be paid by the criminals ,currently we give twenty three herd of cattle’s to Loudo remain fifteen cattle’s which will be paid after six days then the five cattle’s which were stolen on July, so we fine those criminals to pay instead of four they have to pay all eight”, he explains.
Commissioner Atari says they recovered the raided cattle from Mura-Hatiha Village in Hiyala Payam after the criminals ran out of the village in fear of arrest.
He added that the villages under his county have committed themselves to follow the agreement signed last year to silence all forms of criminal activities in the state.
Atari calls for cooperation between the government and Monyomiji in rural areas to apprehend culprits to face the law.
“After when we surround the village of Mura-hatiha the criminals actually ran away from the village, so we found those who are responsible for them that is why we recover those cows, even if they compensated they are still needed to come and face the law according to the law of south Sudan, now days any cattle or goat theft we are not compromising specially under my leadership commissioner Torit county, the Torit county have committed themselves to the agreement they made on the 24 July currently the government is having challenges on the ground because the chiefs are also facing problems, they can identify the criminal but they cannot arrest because the monyomiji are supporting the criminals that is why we are urging the monyomiji to cooperate with the government”, he appeals.
James Atias Isaro, chief of Mutaram area in Loudo in Torit confirms that they have received 23 cows, but are still awaiting the remaining15 cows from the concerned authorities in the county.
He calls on the youth in the State to refrain from all forms of crime threatening the wellbeing of the societies in the region.
Chief Atias says “the cows that were raid from Mutaram were taken up to Mura-hatiha and from Mura to Haforiere, we have given the report to the Government this is not the exactly number of the cattle raided from Mutaram, the number that were taken from Mutaram were thirty eight now we have received twenty three and we are still under the investigation and the government has told us to give them chances for seven days after seven days the other remaining cattle will be brought we cannot take the laws in our hands the government have the power, if there is anything like that we can go to the government, am giving my message to the youth who are hiding in the bush, let them not repeat the same thing which they are taking for someone, something that belong to someone is not good it is bad, at least you should look yours with your power God will helps you”.
Head of butchers in Torit, Papa Paul Francis, appreciates the state government for its tireless efforts of returning the cattle to the owners.
He says if stealing continues in the state it will affect their business as butchers calling on the concerned Authority to impose charges to criminals once apprehended.
“If the government can do like this, that means there will be no fighting among people, issues are committed but we cannot follow, just like us the butchers we want to buy cows to be many, but raided like now we are very happy if the government can really work like this, to people who steal these cattle they should be charged so that one cannot think of doing it again, if stealing continues that means work will be small for us”, the leaders praises.
The speakers made their comment at Torit Central Division on Friday.