Sanwo-Olu signs bill prohibiting Open Grazing into law

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday assented to the bill prohibiting Open Cattle Grazing and Trespass of Cattle on Land.

Sanwo-Olu signed the legislation into law, 11 days after it was unanimously passed by the State House of Assembly and transmitted to the Executive arm for authorisation.

Assenting to the bill during the state’s Executive Council meeting in Ikeja, the governor directed the security agencies to swing immediately into action and enforce provisions of the law.

”By the powers vested in me as the Governor of Lagos State, I am signing the bill on Open Cattle Grazing and Trespass of Cattle on Land into law.

“To prohibit issues associated with open grazing of livestock,” he said.

By implication, it is now criminal in Lagos for cattle rearers to occupy unapproved public areas and private land with their livestock for grazing.

The law also prohibits the act of moving cattle around public places by herders.

The signing of the anti-open grazing law followed the decision of the Southern Governors’ Forum in August, setting the September deadline to pass the law across member states.

There have been crises witnessed in some states resulting from alleged open grazing.

Although the farmer-herder crisis is not pronounced in Lagos, the anti-open grazing law is expected to prevent the spillover of the menace into the state.