Benue State government releases 210 cows recently seized by the Benue State Livestock Guards at Mbala, Makurdi, and Gbajimba in Guma Local Government Area of the state. This comes after Miyetti Allah pays N5m for 210 Cows
Linus Zaki, Commander of the Benue State Livestock Guards, while returning the cows to the owners, warned them to desist from violating the open grazing prohibition law of 2017 and seek approval for the establishment of ranches as is the norm in line with the provisions of the Law.
The owners got their cows back after various fines worth N5million in total, which has been paid for the supposed violation. While advising herdsmen not to flout the state’s anti-open grazing law, saying the state would not take it lightly with lawbreakers.
In a statement made by Zaki:
“We arrested 140 cows in Mbala on February 11, 2021, and 70 cows in Gbajimba on February 16, 2021. Altogether, we are handing over 210 cows to their owners today.
“We cannot stop implementing the law so the herdsmen must learn to follow the right procedure,”.
A breakdown and details of the payment made include; the sum of N2,000 each for the 210 cows with 140 of the animals held for 14 days while 70 of them were held for eight days, amounting to over N5 million revenue into the state coffers.
Ibrahim Galma, the secretary of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, while speaking on behalf of the cow owners appealed for leniency saying the process of establishing ranches is too technical and scientific for an average Fulani Normad.