Four Years After, Katsina Yet to Track Rustled Cattle With MTN Microchip

Francis Sardauna writes on the need for the Katsina State government to implement the MTN Animal Identification and Management Solution programme to curb cattle rustling in the state

There was jubilation galore in Katsina State when MTN Nigeria and Katsina State government partnered to fight the age-long menace of cattle rustling using advanced technology known as the Animal Identification and Management Solution (AIMS). Now, the joy of the residents seems to be diminishing following the inability of the duo to implement the project in the state.

The advanced technology, which many believed to be the first of its kind in the country, was officially launched at the Runka Game Reserve, Safana Local Government Area of the state on December 2, 2017 by the MTN Nigeria.

The MTN AIMS enables law enforcement agencies, veterinary inspectors, cattle market operators, transporters, abattoirs and animals’ owners to determine animal ownership through the use of Handheld RFID scanners and a short code.

The RFID scanners can be used by law enforcement agents and others to read the unique identification code. The code is then sent via SMS to 58123, and the sender will then receive an SMS with details of the owner of the animal.

With the launch of the AIMS, animal owners across the 34 local government areas of the state were expected to visit their local veterinary to get their animals microchipped (injected) with an MTN AIMS RFID microchip.

The RFID microchip, according to MTN Nigeria, is a battery-free, implantable microchip sealed in biocompatible glass covered by a sheath. When in close contact with an animal RFID scanner, a unique and pre-programmed identification number is displaced. The MTN further explained that the RFID microchip is passive, meaning it does not send or receive any signal.

Thus, making it safer for both the animal and the consumer of the animal product. The identification code is unique to each microchipped animal and is appended to the animal owners’ profile on MTN Animal Identification and Management Portal.

Therefore, owners of livestock, pets and other animals, can be reached if their lost or stolen animals are found, security agencies can determine animal ownership and thus discourage and intercept animal rustlers, herders can send distress calls via MTN AIMS app on their phone in the event of an emergency.

The origin of animals can be traced which is essential for disease surveillance and control. Buyers can also determine ownership of cattle at point of purchase. The MTN AIMS provides a further step towards Nigeria’s participation in the international livestock export market for which identification is a prerequisite.

THISDAY gathered that the launch of the MTN AIMS in Katsina followed extensive consultation and live demonstrations conducted with leaders and members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) in other key northern states of Kano and Kaduna.

Despite the launching of the MTN Animal Identification and Management Solution four years ago, rustling of cattle, sheep, goats and other domestic animals in the state by marauding bandits remained a daily occurrence. The excitement of residents over the inauguration of the project apparently became agony following the inability of the duo to implement it.

Investigation further revealed that both the MTN, security agencies, animal owners and the Katsina state government are unable to track even a single rustled cattle or other domestic animals carted away by bandits with the device within the period under review despites billion of naira reportedly expended on the execution of the project in the state.

For instance, between 2017 and 2019, THISDAY checks revealed that no fewer than 10,000 cows, including sheep and goats, have been rustled by the hoodlums in different deadly attacks on farming communities in Batsari, Safana, Faskari, Jibia, Kankara, Dutsin-ma, Sabuwa, Danmusa and Dandume Local Government Areas of the state.

The state government also confirmed that between July and August, 2021 alone, 141 cases of animal rustling were reported with 1,347 cows, 345 sheep, 119 goats and 13 donkeys rustled in frontline local government areas of the state by the bandits.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Dr. Mustapha Mohammed Inuwa, while reviewing the state’s Security Containment Order at a press conference held at the Government House, added that between September and October, 2021, 676 cows, 109 sheep and 160 goats were rustled by the hoodlums and the animals are nowhere to be found despite the existence of the MTN AIMS in the state.

Similarly, in January 2021, bandits, armed with AK-47 rifles, (riding on motorcycles), attacked Gidan-Dukar village in Kankara. According to residents, the men of the underworld rustled 63 cows, sheep and goats. The hoodlums numbering over 50 launched fresh onslaught on the village on November 14, 2021, where they carted away an unspecified number of cows but police operatives were able to recover 38.

In the same vein, on October 6th, 2021, the bandits rustled over 40 cows and sheep in an attack on Yasore Community in Batsari Local Government Area of the State and killed 10 villagers. The bandits also attacked the Barawa community in Batagarawa Local Government Area on 21 November, 2021 and rustled 300 animals. As of the time of filing this report, the rustled animals were yet to be recovered.

The state chapter of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, also confirmed the inability of the MTN Nigeria to implement its four-year-old project in the state. The Fulani socio-cultural association described the MTN Animal Identification and Management Solution as a dead on arrival project.

The Public Relations Officer of the association Abdullahi Izima Yamadi, told THISDAY in a telephone interview that: “As far as we are concerned that project has never seen the light of the day. It was a dead on arrival project because we have never seen any impact of that project up to now”.

He added, “I believe the Katsina State Government has done its part. It is only the consultant or the company that has not done their own part. If the project had succeeded, all these issues of cattle rustling and banditry would have been a thing of history”.

“Apart from the launching of the project, nothing has been done. MTN should come and actualise the project. MTN promised to do the other technical jobs and I believe they have not done their own.

“So, we are calling on them to come and actualise the project so that the issue of cattle rustling will be a thing of the past. If the project is fully implemented, the issue of cattle rustling will be tracked down”.

He, however, explained that security agencies in the state, especially the DSS and the police were doing their best “because I am aware of some of the recoveries they have made with regard to the usage of their tracking devices”.

“So if the MTN can complement the effort of security agencies with their microchips which they promised to use on cows so that we can know the whereabouts of our cows it will drastically reduce the issue of cattle rustling especially in frontline local government areas”, he added.

Consequently, there is urgent need for MTN Nigeria and the Katsina government to implement their four-year-old Animal Identification and Management Solution (AIMS) project in the state to tackle the prevailing cases of cattle rustling besetting the state. The full implementation of the project would complement security agencies’ effort in tracking rustled animals and stem banditry.

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So if the MTN can complement the effort of security agencies with their microchips which they promised to use on cows so that we can know the whereabouts of our cows it will drastically reduce the issue of cattle rustling especially in frontline local government areas