Open grazing: Herders with firearms risk 21-year jail term in Lagos

The Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday committed the bill on open grazing to the committee on agriculture after it scaled second reading.

 

The bill, which proposes 21 years jail term for any herder found with firearms, was contained in a bill titled: “Prohibition of Open Cattle Grazing Bill, 2021” sent to the Assembly by the executive.

 

While debating the bill during its plenary session, the members of the Assembly condemned the incessant movement of cattle by herders openly on farmo and roads in the state, adding that trespassing on people’s land would continue to threaten peaceful coexistence in the country.

 

Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, described the ‘Prohibition of Open Cattle Grazing Bill’ as timely and one that would ensure harmonious relationships between herders and farmers and protect the environment of the state and the Southwest zone.

 

The Speaker also suggested that the bill should make provision for the registration of herders and prepare them for ranching.

 

“Allocating parcel of land is not enough, but there should be the training of those who would go into ranching,” he said noting that ranching is expensive and required adequate preparation