FG backs herders’ planned suit against Southern Governors on anti-open grazing law

The Federal Government has said it supports moves by herdsmen to sue Southern Governors over the anti-open grazing bill they recently signed into law.

This was made known by the Special Assistant (Media) to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Dr Umar Gwandu.

He said “The Nigerians whose rights are violated reserve the right to approach the court for the protection of such rights within the context of freedom of movement among others. It will be viewed with that consideration in mind.”

The Nigeria Police Force headquarters is however silent on the law and its implementation, there are also discordant tunes from the State Police Commands on the enforcement.

The Police Commands in Ebonyi and Osun State have said they would enforce the law, while the Lagos State Police Command stated that it would only  provide protection to the enforcement team of  the State.

In the same vein, the Rivers State Police Commissioner, Friday Eboka, has said that he is yet to see a copy of the State anti-open grazing law.

The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore group, the umbrella association of the mainly Fulani herdsmen, have described the passage of the law in Southern States as ‘satanic’ and ‘politically motivated,’ vowing that to sue the Governors.

National Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore group, Selah Alhassan, is threatening to sue the Southern Governors over the anti-grazing bills passed.

You would recall that some Southern States, namely Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Abia, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Delta and Ogun States, have signed the anti-open grazing bill into law.