Benue jails Fulani herder for contravening grazing law
A Makurdi Magistrate, Mr. Isaac Ajim has sentenced a 19 –year- old cattle herder, Yakubu Bello of Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa state to one year in prison for contravening the Benue state Open Grazing and Ranching Prohibition law in the state.
The trial judge however, gave the convict an option of paying a fine of N.5 million failure to which he will serve a one- year -jail term.
The magistrate told the convict to note that the state’s open grazing law is not targeted at any particular group of people and the court has the duty to interpret it and to protect law- abiding citizens in the state.
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Earlier, the prosecuting police officer, Hyacinth Gbakor told the court that on August 23, a team of livestock guards led by the state Commander, Linus Zaki while on patrol at Adaka Village in Makurdi Local Government Area saw the convict with 22 cows and 14 sheep grazing openly thereby contravening the law of the state.
In the same court, two Fulani cattle herders, Amadu Jubril and Adamu Many both of Guma Local Government Area were arraigned for the same offence and were granted bail to the tune of N.5 million each and one surety in the like sum.
The case was adjourned to November 5 for further mention.
