The Bayelsa Livestock Management Committee (BSLMC) has impounded 34 cows in Yenagoa for violating the state’s anti-open grazing law.
The BSLMC impounded the cows around the Bayelsa Palm Estate in the state capital. David Alagoa, Chairman of BSLMC and agric commissioner, told journalists the herders the impounded cattle would remain in the custody of the committee until the herders paid the prescribed fine.
“Over time, the communities around Bayelsa Palm Estate have become open fields for the cows because the herders are moving them and trekking around the area. We have been monitoring their movements over time, and we decided to do a surprise hit.
We are going to follow the law that states that when we impound, there is also a fee to be paid in that process, and I want to assure you that we are going to follow the law,” Mr Alagoa explained.
