Over 23 stolen cows recovered in Torit County

The Commissioner of Torit County, Atari Jacob Albano on Friday handed over 23 out of the 38 cattle that were raided from Oudo Village, Bur Payam, in Eastern Equatoria State.

The cattle were raided by unidentified armed youth from Mura-Hatiha village, Torit County, two weeks ago.

The incident prompted the State’s Council of Ministers to form a committee headed by Local Government Minister Peter Lokeng Lotone to investigate the matter.

The committee went to Mura-Hatiha and retrieved some of the raided cattle, and handed them over to Torit County authorities through the police.

On Thursday, Atari handed over the cattle to the right full owners.

Atari revealed that he had also recovered four cattle belonging to the owners of butcheries in Torit that were stolen by some criminals on July 5, 2021.

 He ordered them to pay double the number of animals, bringing them to a total of eight.

“When I went for the operation in Mura-Hatiha to recover the 38 cattle, I also raised the issue of the cattle of the butchers which were stolen on July 5 also to be paid by the criminals,” he said.

“So what are you witnessing today? We are distributing these cattle to the butchers and also to the Monyomiji of Oudo. We gave 38 cattle to Oudo [and] there is a remaining balance of 15 cattle, which will be paid after six days, “Atari added.

Papa Paul Francis, head of butchers in Torit applauded the government for the achievement and called for the arrest of the perpetrators.

“I thank the government very much because if it is always done like this, there would be no problems among the people because what is taken and people don’t follow up is what always affects us. “These people who stole these cows should be arrested and charged so that they don’t repeat the issue,” Papa.

James Atias, the landlord of Mutaram, Oudo Village, confirmed receiving the cattle and expressed their further patience as the government works to recover the remaining cattle.

“The government told us to be patient, and truly, we have been patient, and finally the government has made its program.” [They [went] and brought the cattle, this is not the whole number of cattle that were taken from Mutaram,” he said.

He said the total number of cattle raided from Oudo village was 28, but only 23 cattle were handed to them, adding that the government had promised to bring the remaining 15 cattle after seven days.