A Jigawa state farmers and herders special court has ordered nine cattle herders to pay N500 million as compensation to farmers whose crops they destroyed in Birnin Kudu LGA.
Yusuf Abubakar gave the decision on Tuesday, basing it on pertinent sections 78, 19, and 322 of the Penal Code.
The case was filed by the Jigawa state commissioner of police against Ilu Adamu and eight other defendants and followed over two years of legal proceedings.
According to Premium Times, the accused were charged with four offences, including violating section 97 of the penal code by allowing their cattle to roam into farmlands that were under cultivation, causing significant agricultural devastation.
The judge’s decision also found the defendants accountable for destroying the state chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria’s (AFAN) property.
The court ordered the herders to pay N500,000 in compensation after finding that they had torched the AFAN chairperson’s tyre and motorcycle, which is a crime covered under section 326 of the penal code.
Abubakar further determined that the defendants violated sections 332 and 114 of the penal code by causing bodily harm to some farmers during the occurrences.
The court found the herders guilty on all counts after considering the prosecution’s case.
As a result, the court gave the convicted parties 30 days to appeal the ruling and ordered them to compensate the impacted farmers with N500 million.
The Kwarsa, Larau, and Tukuda woodland regions of Birnin Kudu LGA were the sites of the incidents that precipitated the trial.
Meanwhile, Farmers and herders have frequently clashed in the communities over grazing rights and land use.
Join Our Social Media Channels:
