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Nigerian govt’s support for herdsmen on anti-open grazing law politically suicidal – Falana

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A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, on Monday, decried the Federal Government’s alleged support for herdsmen planning to challenge the anti-open grazing law put in place by the Southern governors.

The Special Assistant on Media to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Dr. Umar Gwandu, had recently told journalists the federal government was in support of the herdsmen’s decision to sue the Southern governors over the anti-open grazing bills signed recently in their various states.

Several governors in the South including that of Delta, Ekiti, Enugu, Lagos, and Ondo had signed the bill into law.

Falana, who reacted to the AGF’s remarks in a statement, said the government’s decision to support the herdsmen in their efforts to challenge the anti-open grazing law was not only unconstitutional but politically suicidal.

READ ALSO: Buhari’s govt not ready to declare bandits as terrorists – Falana

He said: “Specifically, it is a gross violation of Section 17 of the constitution which provides that the Nigerian people are entitled to equal rights and opportunities before the law and Section 42 thereof which has prohibited the Federal Government from conferring advantage on any group of citizens.

“Accordingly, the resources of the entire Nigerian people cannot be dissipated on defending herders against State governments.

“In defending the herders in the case the Federal Government will certainly run into serious contradictions having made available the sum of N6.2bn to Katsina for ranching, the Federal Government will not be permitted to turn round to embrace open grazing. The court will not allow the Federal Government to approbate and reprobate at the same time.”

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