Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has declared that open grazing is now forbidden in the state following the passage of the law in May 2017.
In a broadcast made to the people of the state early Wednesday, the governor said, “Let me appeal to all citizens to be law abiding; no one should take law into his hands. We have put adequate machinery to enforce the law.”
The secretary, Cattle Dealers Association, Garuba Mohammad, described the situation as “hard time,” expressing fear that the new law would run them out of business.
He noted that their cattle, before Wednesday, used to graze within two kilometers to the abattoir; adding that they had been forced to restrict movement of their cows due to the presence of vigilante groups scattered around their routes.
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