House Urges FG to Adopt Electronic Animal Identification System against Cattle Rustling

Damilola Oyedele in Abuja

The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to pursue the formulation of a policy that will ensure the incorporation of Electronic Animal Identification System as a way to eradicate cattle rustling.

This followed a motion sponsored by Hon. Ali Isa (Gombe APC) who noted that crimes related to cattle rustling have become more rampant across states.

Cattle rustlers, the lawmaker said, have become so emboldened that they bear automatic weapons, killing people, destroying property and livelihood and taking away cattle.
He added that efforts of the government have not yielded much success making it imperative for the adoption of modern means, such as the electronic animal identification system, to tackle the menace.

“Thee system is becoming more common in livestock rearing in the western world, and as a result of this identification and verification process, more cattle are being individually identified, which led to reduction of cattle rustling,” Isa said.

He added that the tracking system would also allow lifetime traceability, as well as the compartmentalisation and regionalisation of disease outbreak under the World Organisation for Animal Health standards so that trade could continue on animal products from other parts of the country.