HEADLINENEWS.NEWS | INVESTIGATION
By Headlinenews.news Investigative Bureau
Ibadan, Nigeria — June 18, 2025
In a shocking and deeply troubling development, suspected Fulani herdsmen were spotted openly grazing cattle along multiple points on both sides of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway around 9am today the 18th of June 2025—a direct violation of the anti-open grazing laws operational in both Oyo and Ogun States. The sighting, which occurred in broad daylight, has stirred renewed fears that these herdsmen may be conducting surveillance for future highway abductions, a tactic increasingly linked with rising incidents of kidnapping across Nigeria’s major expressways.
A credible eyewitness who just returned from Ibadan confirmed observing four distinct grazing points, with herders positioned at strategic junctions—some with binocular-like devices, others seated with mobile phones while cattle roamed dangerously close to the expressway.
A Brewing Security Threat Masquerading as Grazing?
This development has sparked concerns among commuters and security experts that these herdsmen may be acting as scouts or informants for armed kidnapping syndicates, under the guise of tending to cattle. The pattern matches previous techniques employed by bandits along highways in Kaduna-Abuja, Lokoja-Ajaokuta, and Benin-Auchi corridors, where innocent-looking cattle herders were later found to be providing logistical support for ambushes.
“The public must not be deceived. Not all herdsmen are innocent pastoralists. Some are embedded within criminal networks and play a surveillance role for kidnapping rings. What is happening on that expressway should be treated as a national emergency,” warns Dr. Abubakar Garba, a national security analyst.
Open Grazing: A Banned but Unenforced Practice
Both Oyo State and Ogun State passed laws between 2021 and 2022 banning open grazing in response to rising farmer-herder clashes, destruction of farmlands, and security threats. The Anti-Open Grazing Prohibition Law of Ogun State (2021) and Oyo State’s Open Rearing and Grazing Regulation Law (2021) were meant to bring sanity and modernization to livestock rearing.
Despite these laws, enforcement has remained abysmally weak. In many cases, herdsmen are seen violating these statutes with zero consequences, creating the impression of a two-tiered legal system—one for ordinary citizens, and another for herdsmen, many of whom are armed and emboldened by their immunity.
“If a citizen builds a shop without approval, he’s sanctioned. But armed herders roam highways openly, flout the law, and nothing happens. This cannot continue in a lawful society,” said Barrister Temitope Salako, a human rights lawyer in Ibadan.
Comparative Analysis: What Other States Are Doing
Ondo State, under former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, established the Amotekun Corps which actively patrolled forest reserves and highways to monitor and apprehend illegal herdsmen. Incidents of kidnapping in the state dropped by 40% after full deployment in late 2022.
In Benue State, the Livestock Guards empowered by law have arrested over 300 herdsmen in the past three years, with over 2,000 cattle impounded and auctioned under judicial orders.
Meanwhile, in the Southeast, the Ebube Agu security network, though underfunded, has recorded joint operations with the police to clamp down on armed herders in border forests.
Yet, in Oyo and Ogun, the story remains one of passive governance and token enforcement, even when lives are lost or citizens kidnapped.
Call to Action: Time to Act Before It’s Too Late
Security stakeholders, including local vigilante groups, traditional rulers, and civil society organizations, are now calling on the Commissioners of Police, State Governors, and the DSS to urgently investigate these illegal herdsmen activities along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. There are fears that delayed action could result in another wave of highway kidnappings, as witnessed in 2023 when 11 travelers were abducted between Onigari and Fidiwo.
“We cannot afford to sleepwalk into another massacre. These herdsmen must be disarmed, profiled, and removed from the expressway immediately. If not, they will strike. And by then, it will be too late,” warned Princess G. Fraser, MFR, of the National Patriots.
Quote of the Day
“Security is not a theory—it must be visible, deliberate, and law-backed. Oyo and Ogun must enforce their own laws now, or risk watching criminals weaponize their inaction.”
— Chief Adekunle Ogunyemi, President, Yoruba Homeland Peace Initiative (YHPI)
“When herdsmen violate the law so openly, it is not just an affront to governance—it is a psychological assault on the people’s sense of safety. The law is clear: no open grazing. The failure to act is a betrayal of public trust.”
— Dr. Gloria Fraser, MFR, Governance & Perception Management Consultant; Founder, The National Patriots
Conclusion
The brazen violation of anti-open grazing laws along Nigeria’s busiest expressway is not just a legal issue—it’s a ticking time bomb. If left unchecked, these sightings could transform into full-blown attacks on unsuspecting travelers. The law must speak now—firmly, uniformly, and without ethnic or political bias—because the cost of silence may be unbearable. Headlinenews.news has forwarded a Special report to the Nigerian Police Force in this regard for action.
Headlinenews.news Special Investigative Report.
