Attempt by Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore to stop the anti-grazing law in Benue suffered a huge setback on Thursday as the federal high court Abuja dismissed the cattle rearer’s suit, challenging the open grazing prohibition and establishment law passed by that state’s house of assembly.
Justice Okon Abang stuck out the case and awarded N100,000 damages against the plaintiff, to be paid to all the 14 defendants named in the suit.
He said he dismissed the suit due to the failure of the plaintiff to comply with an order issued by the court in 2017, directing the association to amend the originating summons.
Bamidele Qudari of the federal high court had ruled there was no valid originating summons before the court regarding the suit.
The Benue state government had approved the law among other things to address the deadly clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the state.
The herders claimed that the law is an act of discrimination against them and therefore went to court, seeking a mandatory injunction restraining the Benue state government from implementing it.
cpcnews.org 