Herdsman sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for open grazing and destroying farm crops worth N50m in Ondo
The Magistrate Court in Akure, Ondo State, has sentenced herdsman Dan-Bello to 10 years for disobeying the anti-open grazing law of the state and damaging farm crops worth N50 million.
The convicted man was arraigned before the Magistrates’ Court sitting in Akure on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, unlawful grazing, malicious damage, breach of peace and illegal entry, all of which he was found guilty.
According to the prosecution, Dan-Bello, on October 27, 2023, grazed his cattle within the farmland belonging to the NPPAN body located along Ago Panu-Ute road within Owo Local Government Area.
The cattle reportedly demolished young palm trees, and watermelons were planted on two hectares of land.
P.O. Nwafor, the prosecuting counsel, told the court that the grazing took place without a permit and in land not designated for such use by the state government in the blatant breach of the Ondo State Livestock Rearing and Grazing Regulation Law, 2021.
She further stated that the incident escalated when one of the herders, who initially escaped, returned the next day with an extra six individuals, and they reportedly set the farm ablaze, destroying a motorcycle in the process.
A farm guard who testified as one of the prosecution witnesses recounted how he caught Dan-Bello while the second herder escaped.
Delivering judgement, Magistrate Damilola Sekoni, held that the evidence presented before the court by the prosecution was credible and sufficient.
For count five, he received an additional two years without an option for a fine.
The court, therefore, sentenced Dan-Bello to four years’ imprisonment on count one without an option for a fine; two years’ imprisonment on count two with an option for a fine of N50,000; and one year for each of counts three and four.
The magistrate further ordered that the sentences should run concurrently.
However, the court stated that this convict shall be discharged once he pays N2 million compensation to the complainant.
The court stressed the necessity of compliance with the Open Grazing Prohibition and Establishment of Law, enacted with the aim of forestalling clashes between farmers and herders in the state.
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