According to a report by Channels TV, on Monday June 1, 2026, a former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has thrown a spotlight back on his administration’s aggressive approach to tackling the perennial clashes between nomadic herders and local farmers.
He revealed that his government’s strict enforcement of the anti-open grazing law led to the arrest and imprisonment of several individuals, drawing intervention from high-ranking Northern traditional and political leaders.
The blunt ex-governor detailed the legislative and security measures his administration deployed to curb rural violence, protect agricultural investments, and maintain law and order across the state.
Fayose stated that his administration was a trailblazer in legislating against the free movement of cattle, a practice that had historically triggered bloody clashes in farming communities.
According to him, the law was born out of a necessity to stop the killing of local farmers in their settlements.
Beyond merely banning the practice, the former governor explained that his government established a formal ranching system to regulate livestock business within Ekiti State.
He emphasized that the administration acted strictly within legal frameworks to address the security crisis while ensuring that no specific ethnic group was unfairly targeted.
“When I was governor of Ekiti, I made a law at the time. I was the first to make a law in this country that there would be no cattle roaming in my state,” Fayose recalled. “I created a ranch, went to the House of Assembly, and made a law.”
The former governor noted that the law was not just a deterrent on paper but was backed by swift executive action. Security agencies and state actors were mandated to impound roaming cattle and arrest violating herders immediately.
Fayose disclosed that the state arrested dozens of suspects and successfully secured convictions in court within a short period, sending a strong signal that his administration meant business.
“Under that law, the moment we found you with cattle, we took over the cattle. I took them over and made arrests because a few people were killed in farming settlements. I arrested more than 67 Fulanis. Within three months, we were able to jail 17 people, 15 of whom were Fulanis.”
The uncompromising enforcement of the law quickly reverberated across the country, particularly in the North, catching the attention of prominent leaders. Fayose revealed that the sudden imprisonment of herders prompted top-tier political and traditional emissaries to travel down to Ekiti State to seek audience and negotiate with his government.
Among those who intervened were delegations from the Sokoto Caliphate and top political figures from Kano State.
“When they saw that I was not joking, the Emir of Kano sent emissaries, and the former governor of Kano, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, came to Ekiti. They also sent emissaries from Sokoto to talk to me. They asked, ‘Why am I jailing Fulanis?’”
Fayose, however, clarified that his actions were never driven by ethnic bigotry or malice toward the Fulani people, whom he described as “great and good people.” Instead, he maintained that the policy was strictly an exercise in constitutional governance to ensure the safety of lives and property.
The resulting high-level engagements with Northern leaders ultimately opened doors for structured dialogue, allowing the state to clearly outline the implementation and long-term impact of its agricultural and security policies on herders operating within Ekiti.
