Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu yesterday signed the bill prohibiting open cattle grazing in the state into law.
The signing came 11 days after the bill was unanimously passed by the House of Assembly. Although farmer-herder crisis is not pronounced in Lagos, New Telegraph learnt that the law is to prevent the spillover of the menace into the state and to forestall the possibility of such a crisis in rural areas.
With the new law, it is now a criminal offence in Lagos for cattle rearers to occupy unapproved public areas and private land with their livestock for grazing.
The law also prohibits moving cattle to public places by herders. Following continued open grazing, many parts of the nation have witnessed a series of bloody clashes leading to loss of lives.
The development forced southern governors to come up with a law to stop open grazing. Sanwo-Olu, who assented to the bill during the State Executive Council meeting in Alausa, directed the law enforcement agencies to enforce provisions of the law.
He said: “By the powers vested in me as the Governor of Lagos State, I am signing the bill on Open Cattle Grazing and Trespass of Cattle on Land into law to prohibit issues associated with open grazing of livestock.”
The governor also signed legislation transforming the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) into a full-blown agency. The development coincided with the commemorative month dedicated to raising awareness on gender-based violence in the State.
The governor and members of his cabinet wore attire with purple shades to support the campaign against sexual violence.
The DSVRT legislation provides for the establishment of Sexual Offenders’ Register that would help the state to efficiently tackle violations in the communities.
After signing the law, Sanwo-Olu said: “Raising awareness about domestic and sexual violence is an important piece of working to end the cycle of violence. It is important to reiterate the State Government’s zero tolerance to all forms of sexual and gender-based violence.
We will not rest on our oars until the menace is reduced to the barest minimum in Lagos.” He appointed Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi as Executive Secretary of the new agency
