By: Ahmed Rufa’i
After years of legal tussle between farmers and herders in Jigawa State, the Farmers Herders Special Court sitting in Dutse has delivered judgment in a long running case involving alleged destruction of farmlands in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area.
The court convicted nine herders over offences linked to damage to farm produce and disturbance of public peace across four forest locations in the area.
The case, filed in 2023 by the Commissioner of Police, arose from complaints by farmers over repeated destruction of crops and farm implements at Gayawa, Gurjiya, Kursa and Tukuda forest reserves.
Delivering judgment, the presiding Magistrate, Yusuf Rabiu Abubakar, ruled that the prosecution successfully established its case beyond reasonable doubt.
He explained that the defendants were charged with conspiracy, mischief by fire, damage to farm produce and breach of public peace, contrary to Sections 97, 362, 332, 114 and 246 of the Penal Code Laws of Jigawa State.
The court held that evidence before it showed that the convicts acted jointly to destroy farm produce and implements covering about 1,500 hectares of farmland, resulting in losses estimated at over N700 million and affecting numerous farmers.
Magistrate Abubakar disclosed that the prosecution called 12 witnesses whose testimonies were consistent and credible, while the defence failed to present witnesses or sufficient evidence to counter the allegations.
Based on the findings, the court sentenced each of the nine convicts to one month imprisonment on each count, with an option of a N10,000 fine per count.
In addition to the custodial sentence, the court ordered the payment of N500 million as compensation to the affected farmers, to be shared equitably.
The convicts were also directed to jointly pay N500,000 to the complainants and another N500,000 to the Jigawa State Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Engr. Auwalu Garba, as compensation for damage to tractor tyres and a motorcycle during the incident.
Reacting to the judgment, Engr. Garba described the ruling as a significant step toward justice and accountability, saying it would serve as a warning to others.
He urged both farmers and herders to remain law-abiding and peaceful, cautioning against encroachment into grazing routes and forest reserves, as well as taking the law into their hands under any circumstance.
