Police can’t arrest herdsmen for grazing cattle on airport runways –Commissioner

The Nigeria Police Force has said it cannot arrest herdsmen who
allow their cattle to stray onto and graze on airport runways in
the country.

The Commissioner of Police, Airport Command, Mustapha Dandaura,
stated this in an interview with our correspondent on Friday.

He said herdsmen could only be arrested in states where the
anti-open grazing law was effective.

However, Dandaura said that all policemen and other security
officials at the airports had been instructed to stay on high alert
to prevent a situation whereby cows would take over airport
runways.

He said, “It’s only in states where the anti-open grazing law is
in place that herdsmen can be arrested for allowing their cattle to
graze on airport runways. Apart from those states, we have not been
told to start arresting herdsmen.

“But we have already alerted our men at the airports to ensure
such incident does not occur again. The state police commands have
also been carried along and everyone is on the alert.

“We can’t have a situation whereby cows would be straying onto
and grazing on airport runways because it is embarrassing. Everyone
is now on the alert and it’s going to be prevented.”

Last Saturday, an Air Peace flight from Lagos had been prevented
from landing at the Akure Airport, Ondo State as cows took over the
runway.

It had taken the efforts of airport security and other aviation
workers to clear the runway before the airplane landed.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria had apologised to the
airline affected and suspended the head of aviation security at the
airport following the bizarre incident.

A similar incident had occurred in November 2016 when a
fully-loaded plane belonging to Air Peace had to abort landing at
the Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri, Imo State when the pilot discovered
that the runway had been invaded by cows.

Before the Owerri episode, an Air France plane was reported to
have collided with cows at the runway of the Port Harcourt
International Airport.

The Nigeria Police Force has said it cannot arrest herdsmen who
allow their cattle to stray onto and graze on airport runways in
the country.

The Commissioner of Police, Airport Command, Mustapha Dandaura,
stated this in an interview with our correspondent on
Friday.

He said herdsmen could only be arrested in states where the
anti-open grazing law was effective.

However, Dandaura said that all policemen and other security
officials at the airports had been instructed to stay on high alert
to prevent a situation whereby cows would take over airport
runways.

He said, “It’s only in states where the anti-open grazing law is
in place that herdsmen can be arrested for allowing their cattle to
graze on airport runways. Apart from those states, we have not been
told to start arresting herdsmen.

“But we have already alerted our men at the airports to ensure
such incident does not occur again. The state police commands have
also been carried along and everyone is on the alert.

“We can’t have a situation whereby cows would be straying onto
and grazing on airport runways because it is embarrassing. Everyone
is now on the alert and it’s going to be prevented.”

Last Saturday, an Air Peace flight from Lagos had been prevented
from landing at the Akure Airport, Ondo State as cows took over the
runway.

It had taken the efforts of airport security and other aviation
workers to clear the runway before the airplane landed.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria had apologised to the
airline affected and suspended the head of aviation security at the
airport following the bizarre incident.

A similar incident had occurred in November 2016 when a
fully-loaded plane belonging to Air Peace had to abort landing at
the Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri, Imo State when the pilot discovered
that the runway had been invaded by cows.

Before the Owerri episode, an Air France plane was reported to
have collided with cows at the runway of the Port Harcourt
International Airport.