Nigeria, Aug. 26, 2016 – The Ekiti State House of Assembly has passed into law a bill that prohibits free animal grazing within the state.The bill also prescribed six months imprisonment without an option of fine for any offender and proscribes movement of cattle after 6pm in the state.
The passage of the bill followed the submission of a report of Joint Committees on Agriculture and Environment by its Chairman, Mr Ayodele Fajemilehin, to the House.
The Speaker of the House, Mr Kola Oluwawole, who presided over the plenary, said the bill would now reduce the incessant clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the state.
When accented to, it will now become a crime for any cattle, sheep and goat to graze on undesignated land for ranches in Ekiti.
Tagged,” Prohibition of Cattle and Other Ruminants Grazing in Ekiti, 2016″, anyone found violating the bill upon conviction shall be sentenced to six months in prison without the option of fine.
“The Governor shall by an order designates land in each of 16 Local Government Areas in the state in respect of which Cattle or Ruminants may be permitted to graze. No person shall cause or permit any cow, oxen, sheep as well as goat under his or her control to graze on any land in which the Governor has not designated as ranches” among others.
“No cattle or other ruminants shall by any means move in the night, movement shall be between 7 a.m and 6p.m”, the bill said in part.
The bill came at a time that there has been public condemnation of activities of Fulani Herdsmen who have killed hundreds of Nigerians in their quest to forcefully graze on open field and farmlands.
Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has also condemned the silence of President Muhammadu Buhari on the menace of the Fulani Herdsmen in Nigeria.
