Fulani Herdsmen Threaten To Sue Oyo State Assembly Over Anti-Open Grazing

Fulani herdsmen in Oyo state on Wednesday have vowed to drag the State House of Assembly to court over the anti-grazing bill.

The Fulani herdsmen said about 100 of them from various part of the state assembled at an agrarian community in Ibarapa North Local Government Area to discuss the legal method to use to stop the State Government from signing the anti-open grazing bill into law.

Naija News gathered that the bill has passed through the second reading in the House of Assembly and was sponsored by the Speaker of the Senate Adebo Ogundoyin, the Deputy Speaker Abiodun Fadeyi Majority Leader Sanjo Adedoyin and Minority Leader Asimiyu Alarape.

It was noted by the herdsmen that if the bill is passed into law, it will punish those people who practice open grazing in the state.

The Fulani herdsmen meeting held in Igangan presided by the Sarkin Fulani of Oyo State, Alhaji Saliu Abdul-Kadir who said the bill is too harsh and depriving Fulani of practising the cattle rearing activities in the state.

The Fulani herdsmen then threatened to use legal option if the government insists on imposing the bill on them.

They, however, said the issues which came up in Benue as a result of a similar bill but they don’t want it to occur in the state since they have been living peacefully with their fellow farmers for a long time and they are begging on the Oyo State Government to see them as Nigerians and partners in progress and who have added values to the economy of the state.

They said further that the Fulani dominate a large percentage of voters in the state and that the government only recognized them during voting periods. They lament that the government gives loan only to farmers to facilitate their business but to them, the government is repaying them for their patriotism with the anti-open grazing bill.

Naija News learnt that Ojebola Matthew Opeoluwa, the Special Assistant on New Media to the House Speaker, while reacting to the court threat said the house will soon release its position on the herdsmen threat.