Illegal grazing: 9 Fulani herdsmen, 25 cows, 51 sheep arrested in Abuja

The acting Director of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, AEPB, Mrs Omolola Olanipekun, on Friday, disclosed that the body has arrested nine herdsmen and confiscated 25 cows and 51 sheep over illegal grazing in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja, Olanipekun also disclosed that the affected herdsmen were penalised by the mobile court which imposed fines ranging from N3,000 to N7,000 on them.

Olanipekun further disclosed that 589 street hawkers were arrested and fined by the mobile court.

According to her, “We don’t want a repeat of what is happening in other states, we don’t want loss of lives because of cattle.

“We have met with the cattle rearers and they promised that they would try and get their people off the streets, but unfortunately, they did not fully comply. We have been arresting them and we discovered that there is another group that we have not met.

“We are preparing to meet with them and let them know that we don’t want cows in the city. If we start killing them (cattle), like the senator wants us to do, they would react and we don’t want bloodshed here. Very soon, I promise, the cattle would be where they are supposed to be.”

Recall that the Senate, through its Committee Chairman on FCT, Senator Dino Melaye, had ordered the slaughter of cows found in the city centre .