A Jigawa State Farmers and Herders Special Court has ordered nine herders to jointly pay over ₦500 million in compensation to farmers whose farmlands were destroyed in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area of the state.
The judgment was delivered by the Presiding Judge, Barrister Yusuf Rabiu Abubakar, who said the ruling was reached in line with Sections 78, 19 and 322 of the Jigawa State Penal Code Law.
The case was filed by the Jigawa State Commissioner of Police against Ilu Adamu and eight other defendants, who were arraigned on four counts bordering on farmland destruction, arson and assault.
According to the court, the defendants unlawfully allowed their cattle to stray into cultivated farmlands, causing extensive damage, an offence contrary to Section 97 of the Penal Code. They were also found guilty of mischief by fire under Section 326 of the Penal Code, which led to the burning of a tractor tyre and a motorcycle belonging to the Jigawa State Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN).
Other offences included causing bodily harm to farmers, in violation of Sections 332 and 114 of the Penal Code, among related charges.
After evaluating the evidence presented, Justice Abubakar ordered the nine convicts to jointly pay ₦500 million as compensation to the affected farmers. The court also directed them to pay an additional ₦500,000 to the Jigawa State AFAN chairman for damage done to his tractor and motorcycle.
The defendants were granted a 30-day window to appeal the judgment.
Efforts to get a reaction from the defence counsel proved unsuccessful, as the lawyer declined to comment on the ruling.
Reacting to the verdict, Engineer Auwalu Garba, who spoke on behalf of the affected farmers, described the judgment as a victory for justice and the rule of law. He urged both farmers and herders to respect existing laws and continue to coexist peacefully.
The case followed over two years of legal proceedings arising from incidents involving the destruction of farmlands and farm inputs by some herders in the Kwarsa, Larau and Tukuda forest areas of Birnin Kudu Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
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