Ekiti high court sentences Fulani cattle herdsman to two years in jail after his cattle damage crops

FULANI cattle herdsman Ali Haruna has been sentenced to two years imprisonment by an Ado Ekiti High Court after his livestock were adjudged to have damaged crops worth N1.5m ($4,000) on a farm within the state.

Last year, Ekiti State introduced a Prohibition of Cattle and other Ruminants Grazing Law, with a mandate to rid the state of the menace of herdsmen. Over recent years, there have been incessant clashes between herdsmen and local farming communities and in response, Ekiti State enacted the law, which restricted grazing to designated areas.

In the first major conviction under the new law, Mr Haruna was sent to prison in a case presided over by the Ekiti State chief judge Justice Ayodeji Daramola. In his ruling, Justice Daramola held that the prosecution had proved the case against the accused beyond reasonable doubt, setting aside the appeal filed against the judgment of the Chief Magistrate’s Court.

Earlier on, Mr Haruna had been sentenced to two years jail by an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court presided over by Idowu Ayenimo on a two-count charge of malicious damage preferred against him. Magistrate Ayenimo sentenced Mr Haruna to two years imprisonment on count one and two years’ imprisonment for count two, with both of the sentences to run concurrently.

According to the prosecution, the herdsman took his cows to the farm owned by one Abdullahi Yaho destroying crops therein. During the course of the trial, the prosecution called five witnesses at the lower court.

Dissatisfied with the verdict of the Chief Magistrate’s Court, Mr Haruna filed an appeal through his counsel Chris Omokhafe, on the grounds that he was not found with any destructive weapon. Mr Omokhafe and prosecution counsel Gbemiga Adaramola, frontloaded all records and adopted their written addresses during the appeal.

However, affirming the judgment of the Chief Magistrate’s Court, Justice Daramola said: “There is no iota of doubt at all, the prosecution proved the charge against the appellant beyond reasonable doubt. I see no reason whatsoever to disturb the findings of the trial court and this appeal is totally devoid of merit and is hereby dismissed accordingly.”