Abia Govt Restricts Cattle Movement in Umuahia, Warns Offenders of Arrest and Prosecution

|By Chinwendu Nwani

The Abia State Government has announced fresh restrictions on the movement of cattle within key parts of Umuahia, the state capital, as part of renewed efforts to maintain environmental cleanliness and urban order.

The Deputy General Manager of the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA), Umuahia Zone, Ambrose Jonah, disclosed the decision on Monday while addressing journalists in Umuahia.

Jonah recalled that the state government had previously directed cattle herders to embrace ranching rather than allowing cows to roam freely within the city. He said the latest restriction targets sensitive government and residential locations, including the Government House area, Workers’ Secretariat, Commissioners’ Quarters, Aba Road, and other major zones.

He warned that anyone found violating the directive would be arrested and prosecuted, stressing that enforcement would commence immediately. The ASEPA official also cautioned truck drivers transporting waste to disposal sites against littering the streets, noting that such acts undermine the agency’s sanitation efforts.

According to Jonah, the unchecked movement of cattle has contributed to environmental degradation and triggered conflicts in some communities, with reported cases of confrontations and arrests already recorded.

He explained that security agencies and community leaders would be engaged to ensure peaceful enforcement of the restriction, adding that ASEPA would officially communicate a comprehensive list of roads and areas where cattle movement would no longer be permitted. These, he said, would include locations hosting government offices, major estates, and newly constructed roads.

Speaking at the meeting, the traditional ruler of the Hausa community in Abia State, Sarkin Yaro Danladi, commended ASEPA for its stakeholder engagement and pledged to relay the government’s directive to his community.

Danladi acknowledged that cattle ownership cuts across ethnic lines, noting that while some non-Hausa residents also own cows, the restriction would be enforced uniformly without exception.