Where’re the Anti-Open Grazing Laws?

Ejiofor Alike writes that since the demise of former Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, who had mobilised southern governors to enact the Anti-Open Grazing Laws in their states, most of the current governors have demonstrated sheer incompetence and lack of political will to implement these laws, leading to the invasion of their states by foreign mercenaries who are masquerading as herdsmen

Former governor of Ondo State, the late Rotimi Akeredolu will continue to be remembered for the political will he demonstrated in challenging the Muhammadu Buhari administration’s silence on  foreign herdsmen that were invading communities across Nigeria.

Akeredolu, as the Chairman of Southern Governors’ Forum, displayed uncommon courage in tackling both the Buhari presidency and the invaders.

As communities were conducting mass burials of the victims of the attacks and relocating to Internally Displaced Persons’ camps, the agents of Buhari’s administration were blaming the victims, urging them “to learn to live peacefully with their neighbours”.

Unfortunately, the agents of President Bola Tinubu’s administration are singing the same tune by attributing the current crisis in Plateau State to the failure of communities that had lived together for decades to resolve their differences.

But it is obvious that foreign mercenaries are killing Plateau residents to dispossess them of their lands.

A former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Jonah Wuyep (rtd) had confirmed that the continuous attacks on communities in Bokkos and Bassa local government areas (LGAs) of Plateau State were coordinated, systematic and deliberate to wipe out the people from their lands.

“I want the world to know that the attacks on innocent persons in the state are not herders-farmers clashes. Was it in the farm that people were killed in Bokkos and Bassa; was there a clash? If so, between who and who? We know that the locals were attacked and killed; so, if it is a clash, with which group of people?” he asked.

In the Middle Belt, Plateau and Benue states were the worst hit by these invaders, prompting former Governor Samuel Ortom to sign into law, the Open Grazing Prohibition Bill 2017, which prescribed a five-year jail term for a herder or pastoralist caught engaging in open grazing of animals in Benue State, in May 2017.

Ortom incurred the wrath of the Buhari’s administration for this legislation.

With the actions of the administration favouring the herders, commissioners of police and Divisional Police Officers (DPO) were scared of arresting the herders for fear of victimisation by the police authorities.

The police also refused to enforce the law enacted by Ortom, which prompted him to create Livestock Guards to ensure compliance with the law.

Many southern governors copied Ortom’s model and enacted the Anti-Open Grazing Laws.

Akeredolu, had in May 2021, declared that no inch of the lands in Southern Nigeria would be ceded to the foreign invaders.

Under his leadership, the 17 southern governors held a historic meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, on July 5, 2021, where they banned open grazing and set a timeline of Wednesday, September 1, 2021 for the promulgation of the anti-open grazing law in all member-states.

Apparently miffed by the refusal of the federal-controlled security agencies to arrest and prosecute the criminal herders, the governors condemned what they described as “selective criminal administration of justice and resolved that arrests should be made within the ambit of the law and fundamental human rights.”

But in a clear demonstration of the Buhari government’s support to the herders, the then Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, declared the ban on open grazing by the southern governors as illegal, stressing that it infringed on the freedom of movement of Nigerians enshrined in the constitution.

“It is as good as saying the northern governors come together to say that they forbid spare part trading in the North. Does it hold water? If you’re talking of a constitutionally guaranteed right, the better approach to it is to go back to ensure that the constitution is amended,” Malami added.

Nigerians were obviously shocked that the chief law officer of the country could equate freedom of movement of Nigerians with freedom of movement of cattle.

More shocking was his claim that spare parts dealers who pay taxes and levies, rent shops and conduct their legitimate businesses in accordance with all state laws and the Constitution of Nigeria, are equivalent to armed herders.

Herders invade communities with their cattle and sophisticated weapons, build their tents on people’s lands without paying the land owners, destroy farmlands and crops, rape women, and kill farmers who resist their atrocities.

Malami’s claims were viewed as an indication of the level of nepotism and incompetence that characterised Buhari’s administration.

While herdsmen were allowed to move about with sophisticated rifles, security agents clamped down on communities that armed themselves to resist these invaders.

South-west governors established the Amotekun Corps, while some South-east governors created Ebubeagu to arrest herders that violated the grazing laws.

However, most governors under the present dispensation have demonstrated incompetence and lack of political will to tackle these terrorists through the implementation of the existing anti-open grazing laws, despite President Tinubu’s administration’s genuine commitment to end insecurity.

When Buhari’s tenure ended, herdsmen suspended their attacks, except in the Middle Belt, as it was obvious to them that the Tinubu administration was not going to condone their atrocities.

However, the blood-sucking demons have resumed their killings, kidnappings, destruction of farmlands, and other atrocities in Ondo, Ogun, Bayelsa, Edo, Enugu, Bayelsa, Delta and many other states, while most of the governors are focused on 2027 general election.

Most of the governors of the affected states prioritise their political future, over and above the lives and welfare of the people that gave them their mandates.

Ironically, the most audacious attacks in the southern parts of the country were carried out in Ondo State as Akeredolu’s successor, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has not demonstrated the political will to tackle these invaders.

In Benue State where the attacks were previously restricted to the Tiv-speaking areas, the attackers are moving southwards, with the recent attacks in Otukpo LGA, which is under the Idoma-speaking areas.

There are indications that when the Idoma areas are effectively subdued, the next target of the invaders will be the South-east, particularly Enugu State.

Following the recent attacks in Otukpo and Ado LGAs, a former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, had called on communities to mobilise themselves against the invaders.

Mark’s call was an indication of failure of the governors to secure lives and property.

Also following the recent attacks in Plateau State, Governor Caleb Mutfwang, had on Wednesday, banned night grazing and transportation of cattle after 7pm, and also restricted motorcycle movement from 7pm to 6am in the state.

To check these invaders, the southern governors should demonstrate effective leadership by implementing the already existing anti-open grazing laws enacted by their predecessors.