The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Wednesday, stated that cattle theft, once dismissed as a rural nuisance, has now evolved 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.
He also revealed that the Sahel and West Africa are home to more than 60 million head of cattle, representing billions of dollars in mobile assets.
Speaking at the 27th INTERPOL African Regional Conference, held in Cape Town, South Africa, Egbetokun noted that cattle theft has existed for centuries.
Revealing that proceeds from cattle theft are often reinvested in IED components and small arms, the IGP emphasised that this convergence makes cattle theft far more than a rural crime — it is a multiplier of global security threats.
In a paper titled “Cattle Theft in West Africa: A Conduit for Terrorism Financing and CBRNE Threats,” Egbetokun stated: “For centuries, cattle have been central to West African identity, culture, and economy. They serve as wealth, dowry, insurance, and symbols of status. The Sahel and West Africa host more than 60 million head of cattle, representing billions of dollars in mobile assets.
“But in the face of desertification, shrinking grazing land, and farmer–herder tensions, cattle have become easy targets for armed groups. Rustling, once opportunistic, has evolved into an organised industry where livestock are stolen, laundered through informal markets, and converted into cash for crime and conflict.
“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.
“From Sokoto to Timbuktu, stolen herds cross porous borders with ease, often laundered into legitimate markets through complicit dealers. What looks like ordinary commerce in a livestock market may, in reality, be the financing arm of terrorism.”
Evidence, he said, shows a direct pipeline between rustling and extremist networks. In the Lake Chad Basin, Boko Haram and ISWAP impose “cattle taxes” and resell stolen herds through middlemen.
Noting that in Mali and Burkina Faso, extremist groups raid villages and fund recruitment and weapons purchases through the sale of rustled cattle, Egbetokun added that the same applies to North-West Nigeria.
Each stolen herd, he said, represents another step in radicalisation, another bullet purchased, and another community destabilised.
He further warned that the linkage between rustling and CBRNE threats cannot be ignored for several 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.”
Noting that this convergence makes cattle theft more than a rural crime, IGP stated that it is a multiplier of global security threats.
Linus Aleke
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