Gwandu stated this as state police commands on Sunday differed on the enforcement of the law.
While Ebonyi and Osun state police commands told our correspondents that they would enforce the law, a source in the Lagos State Police Command stated that the police would only provide protection to the enforcement team of the state.
But a top police officer told one of our correspondents that it would be difficult for state commands to enforce the law without the support of force headquarters.
Most southern states, including Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Abia, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, and just recently, Delta and Ogun states, signed the anti-open grazing bill into law.
The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore group, while reacting to the passage of the law in the southern states, described it as ‘satanic’ and ‘politically motivated,’ adding that it would sue the governors over the law.
Gwandu, in an interview with one of our correspondents, stated, “The rights trampled upon are individual rights of Nigerians as constitutionally guaranteed.
Anti-open grazing: We’ll arrest, prosecute offenders – Ebonyi police
In Ebonyi State, the state Police Command says it will arrest and prosecute violators of the anti-open grazing law in the state.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Aliyu Garba, stated this in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents in Abakaliki, on Sunday.
Also, the Ogun State Police Command said that it was ready to implement the anti-open grazing law in the state as soon as possible.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said this in a chat with one of our correspondents in Abeokuta.
When asked when the police would begin the implementation, Oyeyemi said, “We will begin as soon as possible.”
A popular vigilante group in Rivers State, Diobu Security Service, also said it would enforce the law.
The Chairman of the Diobu vigilante, Prince Amatari who said during an interview with one of our correspondents said the group would enforce the law better than the police because of its presence in the rural areas.
“And the police have not been able to effectively carry out their duties because the entire nation relies on them. If arrests are made by other security agencies, including the Army, they take such persons to the police.”
I haven’t seen the law – Rivers CP
When contacted, the state Commissioner of Police, Friday Eboka said, “They (the state government) have not passed the law to us. I have not seen it.”
Asked if the command was ready to enforce anti-open grazing law in the state, Osun Police Command said as law enforcers, it was duty bound to enforce any law made by the government.
The spokesperson for the command, Yemisi Opalola, said police in the state would enforce any law made.
Lagos police will only provide security for enforcement team – Source
Reacting to the readiness of the police command in enforcing the anti-open grazing law in Lagos State, a police source said the responsibility of the police was to provide security for the enforcement team established by the state government to enforce the law.
“There is an enforcement team to be established by the state government to enforce the law and when the enforcement team is established, the police will provide security during enforcement.”