February 29, 2020
The Governor of Benue State,
Samuel Ortom on Friday gave
a matching order to the
state’s Livestock Guards to
impound any cattle seen
grazen in the open in line with
the state’s anti-open grazing
law.
The governor, who disclosed
that armed herdsmen have
been flooding the state in
recent times with large herds
of animals despite the high
level of awareness creation to
the existence of the Open
Grazing Prohibition and
Ranches Establishment Law,
gave the order in Makurdi
while inspecting impounded
cows at the quarantine unit of
the state Ministry of
Agriculture.
According to Ortom, the
enforcement of the ranching
law would continue to enable
those who wish to do
livestock business comply
with its provisions.
He also disclosed that several
herds of cattle had been
impounded and quarantined in
other local government areas
in the state and that trucks
have been acquired by
government to help Livestock
Guards convey impounded
livestocks from long distances
to quarantine units for safe
keeping.

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Describing the influx of the
armed herdsmen as life
threatening, the governor said
such would not be condoned
by his administration, adding
that over four hundred herders
have been arrested and are
being prosecuted at various
stages.
Insisting that there was no
intention to repeal the
ranching law, Ortom noted
that ranching remains the
global best practice of
animals husbandry, urging all
Nigerians to key into it with a
view to ensuring peace
between herdsmen and
farmers.
Speaking during the
governor’s visit, the state
Commander Livestock Guards,
Mr. Linus Zaki reveal that his
men had arrested three
herdsmen during the recent
operations.
According to him, 214 cattle
were impounded in Ukum LGA,
69 in Logo, 219 in Guma, 96
in Makurdi and 16 in Gwer
West LGA.