The seventh reported invasion of investigative journalist Ibanga Isine’s farm has renewed concerns about the enforcement of Akwa Ibom State’s anti-open-grazing law, even as authorities promise tougher prosecution of offending herders.
The repeated destruction of Mr Isine’s farm by suspected herders has sparked fresh questions about the enforcement of the state’s anti-open-grazing legislation, despite government assurances that a multi-agency task force is addressing the issue.
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Mr Isine, who has documented recurring cattle invasions of his Uyo-based farm, alleged that suspected herders entered the property for the seventh time last week, destroying crops, irrigation infrastructure, and other farm investments.
He stated that the repeated invasions have resulted in total losses of ₦70 million in farm investment.
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In a Facebook post from S day, Mr Isine noted: “As of today, we have lost ₦70 million of our investments. We lost about ₦35 million last year, and the herders have doubled the losses with this seventh invasion. That excludes the invasion of our second farm in Shelter Afrique Estate.”
This latest incident arrives as the state government insists that enforcement mechanisms are active. In contrast, the police officials state they will no longer encourage out-of-court settlements in cases involving the destruction of farmlands by herders.
The development follows an ongoing investigation into a previous invasion of Mr Isine’s farm, which PREMIUM TIMES previously reported.
Fresh destruction
In a video on 20 July, Mr Isine toured sections of his farm, displaying damaged irrigation pipes, drip tapes, mulching materials, and broken fencing.
According to the journalist, the cattle breached barbed-wire fencing before trampling cultivated areas and destroying recently installed irrigation facilities. He noted that the recurring attacks have prevented him from resuming cultivation, as he has yet to recover from previous losses.
“This is what we pass through by trying to cultivate land and produce food,” he said. “Even when we cannot plant on the farm, tho rs will still come and destroy the infrastructure we have put in place.”
Mr Isine alleged that cattle had invaded the farm six times previously, adding that farmers across the state face similar experiences. He argued that the movement of cattle through cultivated farmland exposes crops to diseases and discourages agricultural investment.
The journalist, currently a nominal complainant in a criminal proceeding stemming from a previous farm invasion, criticised what he described as weak enforcement of the state’s anti-open-grazing law. He called on Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno to strengthen the implementation of the law to prevent further destruction of farms across the state.
Government officials visit farm
In another video released on Wednesday, Mr Isine stated that government officials responded following his public appeal.
According to him, the Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, deployed officers to inspect the farm, while the chairman of the state’s Anti-Open Grazing Task Force also visited the site. The Commissioner for Agriculture, Offiong Afor, later visited the farm with ministry officials, inspected the damaged facilities, and assured him that the government was identifying those responsible.
Mr Isine commended the commissioners for their prompt response. Still, he argued that farmers without public visibility might not receive similar attention. He also urged the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Akwa Ibom chapter, to speak more forcefully on the recurring destruction of farms by herders.
Police promise prosecutions
Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Azare, said the command operates a joint anti-grazing task force, comprising the police, military, and members of the Fulani community who assist in identifying cattle owners.
He noted that the challenge in M Isine’s case was that concerns were reported after the herders had left. “The police receive complaints, investigate, and determine who owns the cattle involved,” he said.
He acknowledged that policing limitations make it impossible to monitor every farm but stated that officers respond whenever complaints are received. Mr Azare attributed the persistence of such cases to the frequent preference for private compensation over criminal prosecution.
“I have made up my mind that if you want your money, you must go to court and collect it through the court,” he stated. “Henceforth, anyone caught will be prosecuted. If you don’t want to pursue the matter in court, you will lose your compensation. This is because when police continue to push the matter in court without the person offended being willing to appear, how will the case be prosecuted successfully”
He added that restitution should be sought through judicial proceedings r, rather than informal settlements, noting that repeated out-of-court agreements—sometimes made without police knowledge—have contributed to recurring offences.
Government defends enforcement
Responding to questions from PREMIUM TIMES, the Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, speaking on behalf of the Commissioner for Internal Security, Koko Essien, said the state already operates an Anti-Grazing Task Force comprising security agencies and representatives of the Fulani community experienced in cattle identification and tracing.
According to him, the task force has repeatedly called on farmers to report incidents immediately to improve the chances of tracing offending cattle and their handlers. He said prompt reporting has enabled authorities to apprehend violators in several cases, while affected farmers received compensation through the state’s dispute resolution process.
Mr Umanah, however, noted that delayed reporting remains a major obstacle. “In many cases, including from the recent incident at Isine, reports are made several days, and sometimes weeks, after the damage has occurred,” he said. “Such delays make it considerably more difficult to trace the cattle or identify those responsible.”
He maintained that the task force’s activities have significantly reduced incidents of illegal grazing across the state and reiterated the government’s commitment to enforcing the law.
Agriculture commissioner declines to comment
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Offiong Afor, declined to respond to PREMIUMTIMES’s questions regarding enforcement measures, investigations, prosecutions, and protection for farmers.
Instead, she referred this newspaper to the Anti-Grazing Task Force’s enforcement team. PREMIUM TIMES, however, could not obtain a comment from the task force as calls to their known telephone line did not connect.
The commissioner’s stance contrasts with Section 48 of the Open Rearing and Grazing (Prohibition) Control and Establishment of Ranches Law, Cap. 107, Laws of Akwa Ibom State, 2022, which assigns supervisory responsibility for the implementation of the law to the ministry responsible for agriculture.
What the law says
The Open Rearing and Grazing (Prohibition) Control and Establishment of Ranches Law, referred to as the Akwa Ibom anti-open grazing law, prohibits open nomadic livestock grazing except within approved ranches.
Section 30 prescribes a fine of ₦10 million, imprisonment for up to five years, or both, for anyone convicted of engaging in prohibited open grazing. Where grazing damages farms or property, the law requires livestock owners or managers to pay compensation after an official assessment of the losses.
The legislation also criminalises moving livestock on foot across the state, except under limited circumstances authorised by law. First offenders face a fine of ₦500,000, imprisonment for one year, or both, while subsequent offenders risk up to three years’ imprisonment or a ₦1 million fine.
Accountability questions
The latest destruction of Mr Isine’s farm has again drawn attention to the gap between the existence of a comprehensive anti-open grazing law and recurring reports of cattle destroying farms in Akwa Ibom.
Although state officials insist that enforcement has improved and that compensation mechanisms exist, the repeated invasion of the same farm—now seven times,s according to the owner—raises fresh accountability questions about the effectiveness of enforcement, the prosecution of offenders, and the protection of agricultural investments.
The incident also follows the criminal proceedings arising from an earlier invasion of Mr Isine’s farm. This case remains before the courts as authorities pledge stricter enforcement of the law.
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