The Benue State government has raised the fine for impounded animals from N2,000 to N50,000, with an additional N20,000 daily quarantine fee in the amended Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of 2022.

CEOAFRICA gathered that Governor Samuel Ortom who disclosed this on Thursday while signing the amended law said failure to claim the animals after seven days empowers the state Ministry of Agriculture to auction the animals, in line with the law.

He also noted that while other portions of the law remained as they were, another amended area covered the seven days period of grace during which the confiscated livestock must be claimed by their owners or risk being unction.

“If the owners don’t come to collect same day of confiscation, they will have to pay an additional N20,000 for each cow. If you don’t pay within seven days, the law permits us to auction it,” Ortom said.

“The House of Assembly has approved that for every cow arrested by our livestock guard, the owners should pay the sum of N50,000 instead of the meagre N2,000.

“For every cow that is arrested and kept in the quarantine centre, if you are found wanting, other provisions of the law as enacted in 2017 still stands.”

The Benue State Government is the first to enact a law prohibiting open grazing in 2017.