The recoveries were made from suspected armed robbers along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.
The operatives of the IRT, who were part of detectives monitoring the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway to check kidnapping and armed robbery, were said to have sighted the men with the animal and ordered them to stop.
But rather than stop, the suspected armed robbers opened fire on the operatives.
After a fierce gun duel, the policemen killed two of the suspects, while others allegedly escaped with gunshot wounds.
The cows and sheep were moved to Katari town, where the owners came to identify their stolen cows.
Those who stepped forward were Idi Ibrahim, 71 cows; Abdullah Sani, 45 cows; Ibrahim Mohammed, 13; and Adamu Lawal, 21 cows and 26 sheep.
Others were Suleiman Sa’idu, 33 cows and two sheep; Hamisu Ya’u, eight cows; Musa Sani, 65 cows and 13 sheep; Alhaji Sale Sani, 60 cows; Alhaji Rumi, 17 cows; Yakubu Katafila, two cows; and Yusuf Muhammad, two cows.
A member of the investigating team, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “On November 27 at about 2am, IRT operatives on Operation Absolute Sanity along Abuja-Kaduna Expressway engaged some armed robbers moving with hundreds of stolen cows.
“During a fierce gun battle, two of the armed robbers met their waterloo, while other fled, abandoning 413 cows and 50 sheep.
“The cows and sheep were moved to Katari town, where the owners came to identify their stolen cows.
“Right now, we have 76 cows and nine sheep that are yet to be claimed.”
The Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, confirmed the development in a statement on Wednesday.
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