Senate Orders Slaughter Of Cattle Herded In Abuja City

Angered by the continued movement of cattle in Abuja metropolis despite several warnings to their owners by the Federal Capital Territory Authorities, FCTA, the Senate has given a marching order to the FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello, to slaughter any cow seen loitering or grazing within the nation's capital city or impose a N50,000 fine on each of the cows, on the owners.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on the FCT, Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West), handed down this directive to Bello, when the latter appeared before the committee on Monday , insisting that the FCT Minister must go beyond the ban by facilitating the slaughtering order issued by the senate committee.

He stated that it was very disappointing, annoying and embarrassing that despite the ban placed on cattle grazing in FCT by FCTA authority, some stubborn herdsmen were still moving cows along and across highways within the metropolis.

“Honourable minister, Senate as an institution is not happy at how Fulani herdsmen continue to move their cows across the city centre, which we are aware you have given a directive against some time ago.

“From now, get knives and ask your men to slaughter cows found in the capital city or prosecute herdsmen seen with cows in the city centre with a fine of N50,000 per cow. This order must be carried out,” the FCT committee chairman stated.