Mr Haruna, 18, was sentenced by Chief Magistrate Idowu Ayenimo after being found guilty of damaging crops at Ago Aduloju settlement on the outskirts of Ado-Ekiti. He was first arraigned in court on January 22, 2016 and four witnesses gave evidence against him that he was caught on the farm belonging to Abdullahi Yaho and Bello Muhammed in the middle of the night, grazing his herd of cattle.
Apparently, the cash crops destroyed by the cows in the farm included cassava, maize, okro and pepper, valued at N3m. While testifying in court, Mr Haruna revealed that the owner of the cows lived in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
His defence counsel Chris Omokhafe, had prayed the court to be liberal in the dispensation of justice, saying that his client was a first offender. In passing sentence, the magistrate, said the court did not believe Mr Haruna’s defence as it was not credible, holding that the police prosecutor Sergeant Olasunkanmi Bankole, had proved his case beyond reasonable doubt.
Magistrate Ayenimo, consequently, convicted the defendant as charged without the option of a fine. He ordered that the sentence should run concurrently, explaining that the term was minimal because the offence was committed before the Grazing Law was assented to by Governor Ayo Fayose.
Recently, the Ekiti State House of Assembly passed a bill prohibiting open grazing in unauthorised places and also criminalised the bearing of arms by herdsmen. This bill was sponsored by the executive after the killing of two persons by suspected herdsmen in Oke Ako community in Ikole-Ekiti Local Government Area.
Signing the bill into law, Governor Fayose said it would check cases of incessant attacks, the killing of local residents and the destruction of farmlands by herdsmen and their cattle. He added that the law would also strengthen security in various communities across the state, stating that anyone that fouled the law stood the risk of being treated as a terrorist.
Comments
Post a Comment