Herdsman jailed 10 years for destroying N50m farm crops

A herdsman has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by a Magistrates’ Court in Akure, Ondo State capital, for destroying farm crops worth N50 million.

The herder, Dan-Bello, who was also accused of violating the state’s anti-open grazing law, was arraigned on charges bordering on conspiracy, unlawful grazing, malicious damage, breach of peace and illegal entry.

Dan-Bello was said to have, on October 27, 2023, grazed his cattle on farmland belonging to the National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria, NPPAN, situated at Ago Panu–Ute Road in Owo Local Government Area.

According to the prosecuting counsel, P.O. Nwafor, the herder left his cattle unchecked and in turn destroyed young palm trees and watermelons cultivated on two hectares of farmland.

Nwafor further told the court that Dan-Bello grazed his herd of cattle on the farmland without a permit from the state government, which he stressed was in gross violation of the Ondo State Livestock Rearing and Grazing Regulation Law, 2021.

The prosecutor further disclosed that the incident took a twist when one of the herders returned the following day along with six others and allegedly set fire to the farm, destroying a motorcycle in the process.

During the trial, a farm guard who testified as one of the prosecution witnesses narrated before the court how the second herdsman fled after apprehending Dan-Bello.

While delivering the judgement, Magistrate Damilola Sekoni held that the evidence presented by the prosecution was credible and sufficient, after which Dan-Bello was subsequently sentenced to four years’ imprisonment on the first count without an option of a fine, two years on the second count with an option of a N50,000 fine, and one year each on the third and fourth counts.

The suspect was further sentenced to two years without an option of a fine on the fifth count, with the magistrate ordering that the sentences should run concurrently.

However, the court ruled that the convict would be discharged if he pays a compensation of N2 million to the complainant.

Herdsman jailed 10 years for destroying N50m farm crops