Herder sentenced to 10 years for destroying N50m of farm produce in Ondo

A herder, Dab Bello, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by an Akure Magistrate Court for unlawfully grazing cattle and setting fire to farmland belonging to the National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN), resulting in losses estimated at N50 million.Magistrate Damilola Sekoni convicted Bello on five counts, including criminal conspiracy, unlawful grazing, destruction of farmland, breach of public peace, and trespass.The charges stemmed from an incident in 2023 in Owo Local Government Area, Ondo State, where Bello led his cattle into a cultivated farm, destroying palm seedlings and watermelon crops across two hectares.

The prosecution, led by P.O. Nwafor, argued that Bello’s actions violated the Ondo State Livestock Rearing and Grazing Regulation Law of 2021, and that the subsequent burning of the farm was deliberate and unlawful.



Magistrate Sekoni found “clear and convincing evidence” of Bello’s guilt, sentencing him to four years for criminal conspiracy, two years with a N50,000 fine for unlawful grazing, one year each for destruction of farmland and breach of public peace, and two years without the option of a fine for trespassing. All sentences are to run concurrently.Bello was also offered a conditional reprieve: he may avoid serving his full sentence if he pays N20 million in compensation to the affected farm owners.

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