Court remands herdsman in prison over unlawful grazing in Ekiti

A Chief Magistrate Court in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, has remanded a herdsman, Abubakar Usman, over illegal grazing and destruction of a cassava farmland in Iyemero-Ekiti.

Chief Magistrate, Idowu Ayenimo, said the herdsman will remain in prison till the outcome from the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP’s office.

The police prosecutor, Bankole Olasunkanmi, told the court that 30-year-old Abubakar and others now at large, committed the crime sometimes late last year at Iyemero Farm Settlement camp ‎in Iyemero-Ekiti in Ikole Local Council of the state.

He explained further that the accused unlawfully allowed his animals to graze on the 70 hectares cassava farmland which belongs to one Bunmi Akingba.

Olasunkanmi said the farmland is valued at N25 million.

According to him, the offence contravened Section 2 (i) and punishable under Section 7 of Prohibition of Cattle ‎and other Ruminants Grazing, Ekiti State Law 2016.

The prosecutor added that Usman and others at large, had offensive weapons, contrary to Section 4(1) of the Prohibition of Cattle and other Ruminants Grazing of Ekiti and Punishable under Section 11 of Ekiti State Kidnap and Terrorism (Prohibition) Law 2015.

He said the matter had been forwarded to the office of the DPP for legal advice.

The Chief Magistrate, however, adjourned the case till March 3 for mention.

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