Two herders have been arraigned before an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly engaging in unlawful grazing.
Shehu Umaru, 40, and Muhammadu Riskua, 30, of unknown addresses, allegedly committed the offence on August 11 at about 2:00 p.m in Itapaji-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
The prosecutor, ASP Akinwale Oriyomi, told the court yesterday, August 17, that they the defendants unlawfully grazed their cattle in an unauthorised farmland at Itapaji-Ekiti forest.
Oriyomi said that the offence contravened Section 2 and punishable under Section 7 of the Prohibition of Cattle and Other Ruminant Grazing in Ekiti State Law, 2016.
He urged the court to adjourn the case to enable him to study the case file and assemble his witnesses.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.
Their counsel, Mr Gboyega Abiola, urged the court to grant them bail, with a promise that they would not jump bail.
In his ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Mr Abayomi Adeosun, granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N50,000 each, with one surety each in like sum.
He adjourned the case till September 14 for hearing.