A fresh controversy has erupted within the Yobe State command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, after a herder accused senior agro rangers officers of unlawful detention, extortion, and the conversion of his livestock.
The complainant, Alhaji Ardo Dan Karami of Kumari village in Damaturu, alleged in a petition that Assistant Commandant Ahmed Isa Michika, who leads the agro rangers unit, and his team engaged in what he described as “daylight robbery under the cover of uniform.”
According to Zagazola Makama, the allegations deepen concerns about the command’s reputation, coming just months after several officers were linked to escorting vandalised railway materials—an incident that resulted in the removal of the former state commandant.
In the petition submitted through his lawyer, Dan Karami recounted that his ordeal began on October 18, 2025, when agro rangers personnel invaded his home while he was away and seized 340 cows and 18 sheep over claims that the animals had destroyed a farm. The livestock was moved to Damaturu, but what followed, he said, was “nothing short of criminality.”
One of the confiscated sheep was slaughtered on the grounds that it had a fracture; however, the carcass was never returned to him. Three cows were allegedly loaded into an official Hilux vehicle and disappeared. A pregnant cow reportedly died after giving birth while in custody at the Damaturu Pilgrims Camp, and two more cows remain unaccounted for.
The petition further claims that officers demanded 250,000 naira before they would “open the case.” He said they later forced him to pay 2 million naira as compensation for the alleged farm damage, despite the absence of any investigation or legal proceedings.
Additionally, the officers purportedly charged 3,000 naira per cow as bail for 300 cows, amounting to roughly 900,000 naira. Altogether, the livestock owner said he was compelled to pay 3,150,000 naira.
Following the payments, 340 cows and 2 sheep were returned to him, but 15 sheep, 1 ram, the earlier slaughtered sheep, and 2 cows remain missing. He estimates the value of the missing animals at 6,250,000 naira.
When senior officials from the Yobe State government confronted Assistant Commandant Michika and his deputy, the two reportedly refunded 900,000 naira, although they insisted they had collected only 800,000 naira and had already spent 50,000. So far, no disciplinary measures have been announced.
The episode resembles a previous scandal on July 8, 2025, when troops of Operation Hadin Kai intercepted a truck carrying vandalised railway sleepers accompanied by an NSCDC-branded Hilux. Five officers were discovered in the vehicle, and one was found with 128,500 naira concealed in his clothing. The incident ultimately led to the dismissal of the then commandant.
With the region still confronting security challenges, community leaders warn that such actions by security personnel risk further undermining public confidence and heightening tensions.