Jigawa State Special Court orders cattle herders to pay N500 million in damages for destroying farmers’ crops in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area
The Jigawa State Farmers and Herders Special Court on Tuesday ordered a group of cattle herders to pay N500 million in damages to farmers for destroying crops in the Birnin Kudu Local Government Area.
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The ruling was delivered by Judge Yusuf Abubakar, citing Sections 78, 19, and 322 of the Penal Code Law.
The case, brought by the Jigawa State Commissioner of Police against Ilu Adamu and eight others, concluded after more than two years of legal proceedings.
The defendants faced a four-count charge, including allowing cattle to stray into cultivated farmlands, causing property destruction, and inflicting bodily harm on farmers.
Under Section 326 of the Penal Code, the court found the herders liable for burning a tractor tyre and a motorcycle belonging to the Jigawa State Chairperson of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN).
Additionally, the convicts were held responsible for violating Sections 332 and 114 for causing bodily harm to farmers.
The court also ordered the herders to pay N500,000 to the state AFAN Chairperson for his destroyed property and granted the defendants 30 days to appeal the ruling.
Speaking on behalf of the victims, Auwalu Garba described the judgment as a “victory for justice” and urged both farmers and herders to pursue peaceful coexistence. The defence counsel declined to comment on the verdict.
The incidents occurred in the Kwarsa, Larau, and Tukuda forest areas, longstanding hotspots for farmers-herders disputes.
Jigawa State established the special court to expedite justice in land-related conflicts, which often take years in traditional courts and sometimes result in “jungle justice” or reprisals.
Judges in the court are trained in both the Penal Code and local land-use customs.
While the state has designated grazing reserves and cattle routes known as Burtali, illegal conversion of these paths into farmland has intensified conflicts.
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Population growth, land competition, and climate-induced desertification in northern Nigeria have forced herders southward, further aggravating tensions with sedentary farmers.
