Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi has prohibited the activities and operation of underaged herders in the State as he warned that underaged herders caught rearing cattle in the State will be arrested while the Chief Herdsman in charge of such underage herder will be arrested and prosecuted.

The governor placed the proscription as part of the Communique issued at the end of an expanded Security Council Meeting held at the International Conference Centre, Abakaliki.

The meeting had in attendance leaders and members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in the state and Heads of various Security Agencies in the state having Governor Umahi as its chair. The communiqué which was read by Deputy Governor, Kelechi Igwe stated in part:

“The various communities are by this meeting empowered to arrest and handover to the police any under-aged Herder within your community and the Chief Herder who is the custodian of such under-aged persons must be prosecuted by the police, in accordance with our law.”

The statement stressed that henceforth, members of Miyetti Allah and their leadership must take responsibility for any destruction of farms, crops, properties, including an attack on any Community on Ebonyi State; rape cases are not exempted from this. It read:

“They must produce within seven (7) days for arrest and prosecution the perpetrators of such bastardly acts from amongst their membership.”

The Communique also warned that Communities leaders and Traditional Rulers, Development Centre Coordinators, Local Government Council Chairmen, and political Office Holders must take responsibility too and produce attackers and killers of herdsmen or the cows for arrest and prosecution within seven (7) days whenever such occurs as stated:

“Henceforth, herders must reside in the (Ebonyi) community where they graze their cattle.”

“All persons carrying cow by foot on the tarred road, on our concrete roads must be arrested and handed over to the police within seven days of prosecution by the community within which such infrations come.”