Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has warned that cattle theft in West Africa has evolved into a criminal enterprise that fuels terrorism, radicalisation, and global security threats.
The police chief explained that cattle rustling has grown into an organised trade where herds are stolen, laundered through informal markets, and converted into quick cash that sustains insurgency and organised crime.
He stressed that in regions like the Sahel, where over 60 million cattle are valued in billions of dollars, livestock remain not just economic assets but also cultural symbols and means of livelihood.
Speaking at the 27th INTERPOL African Regional Conference in South Africa, Egbetokun said: “Cattle theft, once dismissed as a rural nuisance, has now matured into a sophisticated criminal economy — one that fuels terrorism, destabilises communities, and opens corridors for the trafficking and misuse of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) materials.
“To understand the scale: a single raid of 200 cattle, each fetching around $300 in illicit sales, generates about $60,000 overnight.
“This is not just stolen wealth — it is quick, liquid capital for insurgents and bandits.”
The IGP pointed to evidence of extremist groups financing operations through cattle theft.
“In the Lake Chad Basin, Boko Haram and ISWAP impose ‘cattle taxes’ and resell stolen herds through middlemen.
“In Mali and Burkina Faso, extremist groups raid villages, funding recruitment and weapons purchases through sales of rustled cattle. Same in the North-West of Nigeria,” he stated.
According to him, the theft of herds not only deepens insecurity but also accelerates radicalisation and community destabilisation.
Egbetokun raised alarm over the security implications of cattle smuggling beyond terrorism.
“The linkage between rustling and CBRNE threats cannot be ignored for the following reasons: The spread of illegal cattle movements facilitates zoonotic diseases like anthrax and brucellosis, which could be weaponised by extremists.
“The same smuggling corridors that move cattle are flagged by the IAEA as high-risk for trafficking illicit radioactive material. Proceeds from cattle theft are reinvested in IED components and small arms,” he warned.
He further drew attention to the devastating impact on individuals and communities.
“The farmer in Kaduna who wakes to find his herd gone has lost his children’s school fees. The herder in Mali robbed at gunpoint is driven into desperation, sometimes forced to join the same groups that stole from him.
“Displaced families in Burkina Faso, stripped of livelihood, migrate southward, sparking new cycles of conflict,” he noted.
Egbetokun stressed that cattle theft must be seen as both a security threat and a humanitarian crisis.
The IGP acknowledged the challenges of combating livestock theft across the region.
He said the crime thrives in vast ungoverned spaces with little policing, porous borders that enable swift movement of stolen herds, and informal livestock markets that lack documentation or traceability.
He added that mistrust between communities and law enforcement further complicates the fight.
Egbetokun outlined six key strategies for addressing the menace to include “Linking livestock-crime intelligence cells with INTERPOL’s global database.
“Introducing livestock tagging, DNA traceability, and licensing of cattle traders.
“Extending anti-money laundering frameworks to high-value livestock markets.
“Strengthening ECOWAS border cooperation through joint patrols and hot pursuit agreements.
“Building trust through engagement with traditional rulers, faith leaders, and pastoralist unions.
“Enhancing veterinary disease monitoring, border detection systems, and forensic labs for explosives and biological threats”.
Further providing details by the police in tackling cattle rustling, Egbetokun said, the Special Police Operations: Operation Puff Adder and Operation Hadarin Daji were launched to dismantle cattle-rustling gangs in North-West Nigeria.
He said the Nigeria Police Force works closely with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to track illicit cattle trade proceeds and disrupt financing streams linked to terrorism.
The police chief noted that police formations now deploy drones, geo-mapping tools, and biometric tagging pilots for livestock monitoring in high-risk corridors.
He also stressed community engagement, adding that traditional rulers, vigilante groups, and pastoralist associations are integrated into early-warning systems, improving grassroots intelligence.
Subsequently, he said Nigeria invests in police forensic labs and veterinary surveillance units to detect biological and chemical risks in livestock trade.
The IGP emphasised INTERPOL’s key role in building regional capacity, stating: “INTERPOL’s role is pivotal in harmonising our efforts: developing a regional database on livestock crime with alerts and notices.
“Facilitating joint training on terrorism financing linked to the livestock trade.
“Coordinating cross-border task forces with African member states and supporting CBRNE detection programmes tailored for African policing realities,” he said.
He further called for collaboration with ECOWAS, the African Union, UNODC, FAO, and the IAEA to secure grazing routes, regulate livestock trade, and prevent Africa from becoming a soft target for CBRNE proliferation.
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