UNDERAGE HERDERS TO BE ARRESTED IN EBONYI
By Blessing Ajah
The Government of Ebonyi State has warned that any underage herder caught rearing cattle in the state would be arrested. It added that Chief Herdsman of the underage herder will also be arrested and prosecuted.
The state Deputy Governor, Mr. Kelechi Igwe, who disclosed this to journalists in Abakiliki, capital of Ebonyi State after the state’s Security Council meeting at the International Conference Centre, noted that going forward, all activities and operations of cattle herding involving underage herders were banned in the state.
According to the communique of the meeting read by the Deputy Governor, all the communities in the state are mandated to arrest any underage herder and hand him over to the police.
The various communities leaders, traditional rulers, development centre coordinators, local government council chairmen and political office holders were also warned to take responsibility and make sure offending herders as well as their cows are arrested and prosecuted within seven days.The government further warned that the every members of the Miyetti Allah as well as its leadership, must take absolute responsibility for any destruction of crops, properties and farmlands by the herders in the state.
The communique added that they are also to be held responsible for any attack on the community, or any rape by Herders.
“The various communities are by this meeting empowered to arrest and handover to the police any under-aged herder within your community.
“The Chief Herder who is the custodian of such under-age persons must be prosecuted by the police in accordance with our law”.
The government directed that henceforth, herders must reside in the Ebonyi Community where they graze their cattle.
“All persons carrying cow by foot on the tarred road, on our concrete roads must be arrested and handed over to the police within seven by the community for prosecution.
“They must produce within seven days for arrest and prosecution, the perpetrators of such dastardly acts from amongst their membership”, he added.
The security council meeting, which was chaired by the Governor Umahi had in attendance heads of all the various security agencies in the state. Officials of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in Ebonyi State were also in attendance.
