Benue State government says it released a total of 210 cattle earlier impounded by the state Livestock Guards Task Force for violating its laws against open grazing in two local government areas, to the owners.
Commander of the Livestock Guards, Linus Zaki, said 140 of the cattle were arrested at Mballgh council ward in Makurdi local government area while 70 were impounded from Ggbajimgba in Guma local government area.
Zaki urged herders to respect the state’s law which had since banned open grazing.
“We can’t stop implementing the law so they (herders) should do the right thing by obeying the law,” the Livestock commander said.
The state Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Risku Mohammed thanked the Benue government for keeping the cattle safe.
He appealed for time to enable the association effectively educate their members about the anti-grazing law, urging the government to provide a pilot ranching for them to learn the rudiments.
