Miyetti Allah meets as Lagos proposes 21-year jail term for herders bearing firearms

The leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN in Lagos State is holding strategic meetings with its members and other stakeholders as the bill on open grazing scaled through second reading on the floor of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday. The secretary of MACBAN, in the state, Alhaji […]

The leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN in Lagos State is holding strategic meetings with its members and other stakeholders as the bill on open grazing scaled through second reading on the floor of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday.

The secretary of MACBAN, in the state, Alhaji Maikudi Usman informed Eko Trust that the association is following the proceedings at the Assembly and will make its position known after meeting relevant stakeholders and members.

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“For now, we are meeting on it, after which we shall make known our position,” he said.

As contained in the open grazing bill titled ‘Prohibition of Open Cattle Grazing Bill, 2021’, the Lagos State government has proposed a 21-year jail term for any herder found with firearms, as it moves to stop open cattle grazing.

Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, described the open grazing bill as ‘timely;’ saying, it would protect the environment of the state and the South-West region as well as ensure a harmonious relationship between herders and farmers.

Obasa suggested that the bill should make provision for the registration of herders and prepare them for ranching by training them.

Also, the House read for the first and second time the state’s Value Added Tax (VAT) bill, directing the committee on finance to report back by Thursday.