Police in Bauchi State stopped thieves from stealing eight cows in the Darazo Local Government Area of the state, early Thursday morning.
Around 3:00 am, a local resident noticed suspicious activity and quickly called the police.
Officers rushed to the scene and caught suspects trying to stuff cows into a Chevrolet car.
They had already squeezed two cows inside the vehicle and tied up six others nearby, getting them ready to load.
When the thieves saw the police coming, they ditched the car and the animals and ran off into the dark.
Police seized the car and secured all eight cows.
The rightful owner of the cattle was later contacted and given his animals back, while officers launched a search to track down the runaway thieves.
Bauchi State Police Commissioner Sani-Omolori Aliyu praised the citizen who called in the tip and urged locals to keep reporting suspicious moves to help police keep the community safe.