Amotekun Arrests 100 Cows Over Violation Of Grazing Law In Southwest Nigeria

Officers of the Southwest security outfit codenamed ‘Amotekun’, have arrested some cows in Ondo State over what was considered a violation of the open grazing law of the state.

In January, the Ondo State Executive Council approved a bill that formally banned open grazing in the state, following an agreement made between Southwest governors and Miyetti Allah, the umbrella body of cattle herders in Nigeria.

Adetunji Adeleye, the Commander of the Amotekun Corps in the state, disclosed that his men took in the cows numbering 100 which were grazing along the busy Akure/Ilesa highway after their herders had absconded their post upon sighting amotekun operatives.

Adeleye explained that kidnappers use illegal cattle grazing as a ploy to waylay and kidnap unsuspecting innocent citizens of the state.

He reiterated that the arrest was part of efforts to enforce the directives of the state government that the streets and forest reserves be rid of unregistered herdsmen.

The commander of the corps also added that it took his men a 30 kilometres walk to control the cows from the boundary between Osun and Ondo states to the corps’ headquarters in Akure, the state capital.

“Our men controlled the cows to the headquarters of our office which was about 30 kilometers from the point they were intercepted,” Adeleye said.

“We should take note that our men are in all the 18 local government areas and we are on 24 hours patrol. We arrived at the scene promptly.”

Rotimi Akeredolu, Governor of Ondo State had said numerous accounts from kidnap victims had indicated that most kidnappers masqueraded as herdsmen and used the forest reserves as hideouts for their operations.