A herdsman named Dan Bello has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by an Ondo State Magistrates Court sitting in Akure, the state capital, for destroying farm produce worth N50 million.
The offence committed by the herder was said to have violated the Ondo State’s anti-open grazing law.
Bello was arraigned before the court on a five-count charge of conspiracy, unlawful grazing, malicious damage, breach of peace, and illegal entry and he was found guilty of all counts.
The prosecution stated that on October 27, 2023, the convict grazed his cattle on a farmland belonging to the National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria, located along Ago Panu–Ute road in Owo Local Government, and destroyed young palm trees and watermelons cultivated.
According to the prosecuting counsel, P.O Nwafor, the grazing occurred without a permit, and on land not designated for such use by the state government, in clear violation of the Ondo State Livestock Rearing and Grazing Regulation Law, 2021.
Delivering the judgment on Wednesday, Magistrate Damilola Sekoni, held that the evidence presented by the prosecution was credible and sufficient.
Sekoni sentenced Bello to four years imprisonment on the first count without an option of a fine; two years on the second count with an option of N50,000 fine; and one year each on the third and fourth counts.
The court further sentenced Bello to two years without an option of fine on the fifth count.
She ordered that the sentences should run concurrently.
The court however, ruled that the convict would be discharged if he could pay a compensation of N2 million to the plaintiff.
