Governor Ayodele Fayose of EKITI STATE has banned grazing and rearing of cattle in the state.
This is just as the governor urged all those interested in cattle farming to get their own pr*vate cattle ranch.
This disclosure was made on Monday by the governor, during his visit to Oke-Ako in Ikole local government area of the State that was invaded last Friday by Fulani herdsmen. Premium Times reports.
Fayose, cautioned that his government would henceforth confiscate any cattle seen anywhere in the State apart from ranch created for them by their owners, describing the cattle rustlers that attacked Oke-Ako and other communities in the country as “agents of the devil that must be fished out and punished accordingly.”
The governor said, “We will not leave our lands for Fulani herdsmen and in a system where the leadership of the country looks the other way while our people are being killed, we will have no option than to defend ourselves by whatever means.
“I have come here to commiserate with the people of Oke-Ako over the murder of two of our people by these evil Fulani herdsmen.
“I am also here to a$$ure that this will be the last time your community will be invaded by Fulani herdsmen under whatever guise.
“I have directed that cattle rearing and grazing should stop in Ekiti State and those interested in cattle farming should henceforth do so in their own cattle ranch.
“No more movement of cattle from one location to another in the State and any cattle seen anywhere in EKITI STATE apart from the ranch created for them by their owners will be confiscated by the government and their owners will be prosecuted.
“A bill to this effect will be sent to House of a$$embly for pa$$age into law to criminalise cattle owners whose cattle are found moving from one location the other in the State.
“If President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the patron of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders a$$ociation of Nigeria (MACBAN), has refused to call the herdsmen to order, we in Ekiti will no longer harbour herdsmen who go about killing our people, destroying our farmlands and R,aping our women.
