A 56-year Fulani herdsman, Mohammed Abdulkadire, jumped into River Benue in the Logo Local Government Area of Benue State over the death of his 200 cows, according to a report by Punch.
Revealing details of the incident, the National Coordinator of Miyietti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Benue State chapter, Garus Gololo, said on Saturday that the cows died of hunger and lack of water.
The Benue State Government had, on November 1, commenced the implementation of its anti-open grazing law, leading to some herdsmen relocating to other states.
Gololo said since the commencement of the Benue anti-open grazing law, Fulani herdsmen had lost about 600 cows due to poor feeding and inaccessibility to water.
He lamented that Abdulkadire, who had 22 children, cried and jumped into the river out of frustration when he discovered that 200 out of his 500 cows had died where they were camped, looking for a means to relocate from Benue State.
The herdsmen’s leader said, “The man killed himself simply because there is no place for his cows to graze. He was to relocate to the Awe LGA of Nasarawa State but information got to us that the area was occupied and no herdsman or herdsmen should cross over to the area again.
“We are calling on the Federal Government to intervene to quickly make provision for herdsmen in Benue State before they lose everything they have.”