Court sentences herder to 4 years imprisonment for open grazing in Benue

An Upper Area Court sitting in Naka, Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State, presided over by Judge Gbagyo Orkpe, has convicted and sentenced a herder, one Adamu Ango of Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, to four years imprisonment for contravening Section 19 Subsection (1) and (2) of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of Benue State 2017.

Police prosecutor, Inspector Matthew Ukpor, informed the court that on the 5th of August, 2025, Mr Udewua Evarestus, of Naka town, reported to the Police station at Camp Nagi, that he went to his rice farm at Tse Ihyo, Gaange Tongov Ward of the Local Government and saw a large number of cattle grazing on his farm and that of Matthew Igbana, with the accused Adamu Ango leading the cattle, destroying their rice, maize and guinea corn farms worth over six million naira.

The prosecutor further noted that a patrol team was sent to the area and arrested the herder while openly grazing on the said farms with 57 cattle.

When the case came up, the accused herder, Adamu Ango, admitted commiting the offense and pleaded for forgiveness, stressing that it was his boss, one Alhaji Jatoi Bui, of Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, who directed him to openly graze anywhere in Benue that he had made some payment.

Ruling on the matter, the trial judge, Gbagyo Orkpe asserted that the accused admitted commiting the offence, thereby contravening the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law Section 19 Subsection (1) and (2) Benue State 2017.

He accordingly sentenced the accused with a fine of one million naira and five million naira for the damage caused on the complainants farms.