Fulani herdsmen before court for stealing

Aflao, June 20, GNA- Two Fulani herdsmen from Niger, last Thursday appeared before a Circuit Court at Aflao for stealing 200 cows entrusted in their care. Fuseini Manno, 32, and Abdulai Salifu, 30 were also alleged to have failed to sell cattle to some people after collecting about 28 million cedis from them. They pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to steal, stealing and defrauding by false pretences and were granted five million cedis bail each, to re-appear on June 27, this year. Moses Ladzekpo, 69, a retired teacher was also in the dock for stealing 12 cows from the same kraal. He also pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the same sum to re-appear on the same date with the Fulani herdsmen.

Police Chief Inspector Prosper Ledi told the court presided over by Mr Godwin Kwasi-Kumah that some 74 individual farmers and businessmen kept various numbers of cattle in a kraal at Agbozumekope near Akatsi, under the care of Manno and Salifu. He said in 2003, the cows multiplied to 270 in number. Chief Insp. Ledi said later in the same year, the owners of the cows had hints that Manno and Salifu, were selling the cows but before they verify the reports, the two herdsmen had bolted leaving only 22 cows behind. He told the court that Ladzekpo, who had noticed the absence of Manno and Salifu also transferred 12 cows from the Kraal at Agbozumekope to Adeheta, were he was staying.

Chief Insp. Ledi said the 12 cows, however, have been retrieved. He said some people from Akatsi reported to the police that Manno and Salifu had collected various sums of money totalling 27,300,000 cedis from them to sell cows to them. Chief Insp. Ledi said the two herdsmen were arrested, when they re-surfaced at Akatsi.