A cattle rearer, Mr. Nurudeen Semiu, has been sentenced to five years in prison for breaching the Oyo State Anti-Open Grazing Law of 2019. The judgment was delivered after his arrest on Thursday at the gate of the Oyo State Government Secretariat in Ibadan, where his nine cows were found grazing openly.
The Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Authority (OYRLEA) taskforce, in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Police Division at the Secretariat, facilitated Semiu’s apprehension. Following a complaint by OYRLEA, police officers arrested the herdsman and relocated the cows to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Court Proceedings
The chairperson of OYRLEA, Hon. Justice Aderonke Aderemi, ordered Semiu’s immediate prosecution. At the tribunal hearing, held at the Ministry of Environment, the prosecuting counsel, N.Y. Aderibigbe, presented a four-count charge. Semiu pleaded guilty to two charges and not guilty to the others.
Barrister Kunle Abimbola, the presiding officer, sentenced him to five years imprisonment but offered a fine option of ₦1,700,000 in lieu of the prison term.
Anti-Open Grazing Law Enforcement
This ruling highlights Oyo State’s strict enforcement of the Anti-Open Grazing Law enacted in 2019 to regulate livestock movement and reduce conflicts between herders and farmers.
