Oyo Lawmaker Accused of Backing Open Grazing Despite State Ban

December 23, 2025
By Ayinde Adeleke

A resident of Oyo State, Ayoade Ojeniyi, has accused a member of the Oyo State House of Assembly of undermining the state’s anti–open grazing law by allegedly authorising unrestricted grazing activities by a Fulani herder in his community.

In a statement made available on Tuesday, Ojeniyi alleged that the lawmaker issued a “To Whom It May Concern” letter instructing that a known destructive herder be allowed to graze freely in a farm village, despite the enforcement of the state’s anti–open grazing policy.

He claimed that the community had previously curtailed the activities of marauding cattle herders before the letter surfaced.

Ojeniyi further stated that he held a five-minute telephone conversation with the lawmaker in the presence of a traditional leader, during which the legislator allegedly ignored the authority of the Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Authority, which is responsible for enforcing the anti–open grazing law.

According to him, the lawmaker promised to respond within 24 hours but failed to do so.

The complainant also alleged that the herder involved resides in Iseyin but routinely allows his cattle to graze in Akinyele, causing widespread destruction of farmlands.

Ojeniyi called on the Oyo State Government to investigate the matter, warning that the actions of some political leaders were contributing to insecurity and tension in rural communities.

As of the time of filing this report, the accused lawmaker had not responded to the allegations.