BREAKING: Harsh Fines For Erring Herdsmen As Fiery PDP Governor Sign Grazing Bill Into Law
- Serious punishments await erring herdsmen in Benue state who go about their businesses against their law of the land
- This is as the governor, Samuel Ortom, on Thursday, January 20, signed the amended anti-grazing law
- One of the punishments is that any herdsmen whose cattle graze in urban areas will pay the sum of N500,000 as a first offender
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Benue - The Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Amendment Bill was on Thursday, January 20, signed into law by the Benue state government.
The bill was passed by the state’s House of Assembly, on Tuesday, after a clause by clause consideration of the report of the House standing committee on agriculture and natural resources, Daily Trust learnt.
Source: Facebook
According to the new law, any person found moving livestock on foot within or across urban centres, rural settlements or any part of the state would pay N500,000 as fine for first offender while a subsequent offender would be liable to pay N1 million with appropriate prison terms and options of fine.
The amended law also stipulates a 14-year jail term with an option of N5 million fine for anyone who engages the services of an underaged child to break the law with equally various fines for confiscated livestock which includes N50,000 fine per cow, N10,000 per pig, N5,000 per goat and N1,000 per poultry bird.
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The governor said the old moderate fine for a confiscated animal which prescribed N2000 per cow was reviewed to N50,000 based on current realities and the cost spent in bringing and caring for them at the state’s quarantine centre.
He added that while other portions of the law remained as it were, another amended area covered the seven days period of grace during which the confiscated livestock must be claimed by their owners or risk being unction.
Governor Ortom said:
“If the owners don’t come to collect same day of confiscation, they will have to pay an additional N20,000 for each cow. If you don’t pay within seven days, the law permits us to unction it."
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa signs anti-open grazing bill into law
Meanwhile, Delta state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, on Thursday, September 30 signed the Delta State Livestock, Breeding, Rearing, and Marketing Regulation Bill, 2021, otherwise known as Anti-Open Grazing Bill into law.
The governor also used the opportunity to call on the federal government to assist interested farmers to establish ranches across the country.
Legit.ng gathered that the governor also signed the Delta State Urban and Regional Planning Bill 2020 into law.
Source: Legit.ng
