Ogona Anita
An Akure Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ondo State has sentenced a herdsman, Dan Bello, to ten years in prison for violating the state’s anti-open grazing law and causing extensive damage to farmland.
The herdsman was arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, unlawful grazing, malicious damage, breach of peace, and illegal entry. According to court documents and testimonies presented by the prosecution, Bello’s cattle destroyed crops valued at over N50 million on a farmland located along the Ago Panu–Ute Road in Owo Local Government Area. The farm is owned by the National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN).
The prosecuting counsel, P.O. Nwafor, informed the court that the incident occurred on October 27, 2023. She revealed that Bello grazed his cattle on land not designated for such purposes and without a permit as required by the Ondo State Livestock Rearing and Grazing Regulation Law of 2021. The act, she noted, was not only unlawful but also a clear breach of state regulations designed to curb open grazing and protect agricultural investments.
According to the prosecution, when confronted by farm workers, Bello returned to the scene with other herders and allegedly set the farmland ablaze. The inferno reportedly destroyed young palm trees, watermelon crops across two hectares, and a motorcycle used by workers on the site.
Presiding over the case, Magistrate Damilola Sekoni ruled that the prosecution had provided credible and convincing evidence that established the guilt of the defendant beyond reasonable doubt. Consequently, the court handed down the following sentences:
Four years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine for the charge of conspiracy.
Two years’ imprisonment with the option of a N50,000 fine for unlawful grazing.
One year each for malicious damage and breach of peace.
Two years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine for illegal entry.
Magistrate Sekoni ordered that all the sentences be served concurrently, amounting to a total of ten years behind bars.
The judgment comes amid increasing enforcement of the anti-open grazing law in Ondo State, which was enacted to address the rising conflicts between herders and farmers, safeguard agricultural investments, and enhance security across rural communities.
This case is being closely watched by stakeholders in agriculture and security sectors as a signal that the state government is determined to implement the anti-grazing law to the letter.
