Ondo Court Sentences Herdsman to 10 Years in Prison for Crop Destruction, Offers N20m Compensation Option

A Magistrate Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State, has sentenced a herdsman, Dan-Bello, to 10 years in prison for violating the state’s anti-open grazing law and causing the destruction of farm crops valued at over ₦50 million.

The court, however, gave an option for the convict to pay ₦20 million in compensation to the victim in lieu of serving the jail term.

Trial Magistrate Damilola Sekoni found Dan-Bello guilty on a five-count charge which included conspiracy, unlawful grazing, malicious damage, breach of peace, and illegal entry.

The incident took place on October 27, 2023, when the convict reportedly led his cattle to graze unlawfully on farmland belonging to the National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN) in Owo Local Government Area.

The animals destroyed young palm trees and watermelon crops cultivated across two hectares of land.

According to the prosecution, the damage did not stop there. The following day, Dan-Bello and six unidentified individuals allegedly returned to the same farm and set it on fire, further compounding the destruction.

In his ruling, Magistrate Sekoni sentenced the herdsman to four years’ imprisonment without an option of a fine on the first count. On the second count, he was sentenced to two years with an option of a ₦50,000 fine. For the third and fourth counts, he received one-year sentences each, while the fifth count attracted two years without an option of a fine. All sentences are to run concurrently.

However, the magistrate added that the convict could avoid incarceration entirely if he paid ₦20 million in compensation to the affected farmer.

This ruling is one of the most decisive enforcements yet of the Ondo State Livestock Rearing and Grazing Regulation Law, 2021, which was enacted to curb frequent conflicts between herders and farmers across the state.

Observers say the case sends a strong message about the consequences of illegal grazing and the importance of protecting local agricultural investments in the state.

It also reflects the growing resolve among Nigerian states to enforce legislation that seeks to balance pastoralist activities with the rights and livelihoods of farmers.