The Federal Government on Sunday threw its weight behind
moves by herdsmen to sue southern governors over the anti-open grazing bill
they recently signed into law.
The Special Assistant (Media) to the Attorney-General of the
Federation and Minister of Justice, Dr Umar Gwandu, who disclosed this in an
interview with The PUNCH, said Nigerians whose rights had been
violated could go to court to seek protection.
Gwandu stated this as state police commands on Sunday
differed on the enforcement of the law.
While Ebonyi and Osun state police commands told our correspondents that they would enforce the law, a source in the Lagos State Police Command stated that the police would only provide protection to the enforcement team of the state.
The Rivers State Police Commissioner, Friday Eboka, on his
part said he had not seen a copy of the state anti-open grazing law.
But a top police officer told one of our correspondents that
it would be difficult for state commands to enforce the law without the support
of force headquarters.
Most southern states, including Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Osun,
Ekiti, Abia, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, and just recently, Delta and
Ogun states, signed the anti-open grazing bill into law.
The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore group, while reacting to the
passage of the law in the southern states, described it as ‘satanic’ and
‘politically motivated,’ adding that it would sue the governors over the law.
The National Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore
group, Selah Alhassan, told Sunday PUNCH, threatened that the group
would sue the southern governors.
Gwandu, in an interview with one of our correspondents,
stated, “The rights trampled upon are individual rights of Nigerians as
constitutionally guaranteed.
“The Nigerians whose rights are violated reserve the right
to approach the court for the protection of such rights within the context of
freedom of movement among others. It will be viewed with that consideration in
mind.”
Anti-open grazing: We’ll arrest, prosecute
offenders, say Ebonyi police
In Ebonyi State, the state Police Command says it will
arrest and prosecute violators of the anti-open grazing law in the state.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Aliyu Garba, stated
this in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents in Abakaliki, on
Sunday.
When asked if the police would enforce the law, Garba
asked, “Why not? We will arrest and prosecute offenders. Come with a complaint
and see whether it is not going to be attended to.”
Also, the Ogun State Police Command said that it was ready
to implement the anti-open grazing law in the state as soon as possible.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP,
Abimbola Oyeyemi, said this in a chat with one of our correspondents in
Abeokuta.
When asked when the police would begin the implementation,
Oyeyemi said, “We will begin as soon as possible.”
We’ll enforce open-grazing prohibition law better than
police – Rivers vigilante
A popular vigilante group in Rivers State, Diobu Security
Service, also said it would enforce the law.
The Chairman of the Diobu vigilante, Prince Amatari who said
during an interview with one of our correspondents said the group would enforce
the law better than the police because of its presence in the rural areas.
“We have said that
the security architecture should be decentralised because the responsibility of
the police is much.
“And the police have not been able to effectively carry out
their duties because the entire nation relies on them. If arrests are
made by other security agencies, including the Army, they take such persons to
the police.”
I haven’t seen the law – Rivers CP
When contacted, the state Commissioner of Police, Friday
Eboka said, “They (the state government) have not passed the law to us. I have
not seen it.”
Asked if the command was ready to enforce anti-open grazing
law in the state, Osun Police Command said as law enforcers, it was duty bound
to enforce any law made by the government.
The spokesperson for the command, Yemisi Opalola, said
police in the state would enforce any law made.
She said, “We are law enforcers. Our duty is to enforce the
law made by the government. We will enforce any law made by government in the
state.”
Lagos police will only provide security for enforcement
team – Source
Reacting to the readiness of the police command in enforcing
the anti-open grazing law in Lagos State, a police source said the
responsibility of the police was to provide security for the enforcement team
established by the state government to enforce the law.
“There is an enforcement team to be established by the state
government to enforce the law and when the enforcement team is established, the
police will provide security during enforcement.
“The enforcement team is going to be trained and empowered
by the state government, and a place like a ranch will also be established to
keep the cows until the fine is paid.
“But the job of the police is to give protection to the
enforcement team during enforcement of the law in the state. The enforcement
team has not been established, it is when the team is established that
enforcement will be in full swing,” the source said.
Enforcement has begun, culprit arrested – Ondo
Amotekun
The Ondo State Command of the Security Network Agency also
known as Amotekun stated that enforcement of the state anti-open grazing law
had commenced as some herders and cows had been arrested and dealt with
according to the law.
The state Commander of the corps, Chief Adetunji Adeleye,
said a number of cows and herders had been arrested and they were made to pay
fine and signed an undertaking not to violate the law again.
He said “After the law has been signed, we arrested over 180
cows, together with some herders. We have a number of herders that have been
arrested we are making them to comply with the enacted law which stipulates
penalty for defaulting herders.
“The position of the law is that, if they choose to go to
court, we would implement the law as it is stated, which stipulates the minimum
of N100, 000 fine or three years imprisonment.”
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com