A group of cattle herders are required by the Jigawa State Farmers and Herders Special Court to jointly pay 500 million to farmers in the state’s Birnin Kudu Local Government Area as compensation for the state’s lost farmland.
The presiding judge, Yusuf Abubakar, gave the decision on Tuesday, citing pertinent Penal Code rules in his decision.
Following incidents of crop destruction and violence in several farming communities, the Jigawa State Commissioner of Police brought the case against nine defendants, including Ilu Adamu. Before the verdict was delivered, the trial lasted for more than two years.
Justice Abubakar ruled that the defendants had violated Section 97 of the Penal Code by allowing their cattle to wander into cultivated farmland in his ruling.
The court also found the herders responsible for the destruction of property, including the burning of the Jigawa State Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), a crime punishable by Section 326 of the Penal Code.
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Additionally, the judge found that the defendants had inflicted bodily harm on farmers during the incidents, which was against Penal Code Sections 332 and 114.
The prosecution has substantiated its case beyond a shadow of a doubt, according to Justice Abubakar, “having carefully evaluated the evidence before the court.” The convicts are hereby ordered to jointly pay the affected farmers $500 million in damages.
The defendants were also required to pay the state AFAN chairman $500 000 for his property destruction.
The convicts had 30 days to appeal the verdict, according to Justice Abubakar.
A representative of the farmers who were affected by the verdict, Auwalu Garba, praised the decision as a milestone.
Garba remarked, “This is a victory for justice.” We hope that farmers and herders will embrace peaceful coexistence as a result of this decision.
However, the defense attorney chose not to comment on the decision.
The events that led to the trial took place in the Birnin Kudu Local Government Area’s Kwarsa, Larau, and Tukuda forest areas, which have long been seen as a breeding ground for farmers-herders conflicts.
A specialized Farmers and Herders Court in Jigawa State was established to speed up the resolution of disputes between the two groups. The initiative was developed to lessen the delays caused by conventional courts, which frequently prolong land-related cases and occasionally lead to reprisals or mob justice.
To ensure context-sensitive decisions, judges assigned to special courts are trained in both the Penal Code and local land-use customs.
Burtali, or grazing reserves and cattle routes, are officially recognized as Burtali, but the state’s rapid population growth has caused the illegal conversion of many of these routes into farmland. Herders frequently attempt to follow traditional grazing paths while going through cultivated fields, which causes tensions.
Source: Channels TV
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