The Abia State Government has announced restrictions on the movement of cows in parts of Umuahia, the state capital, as part of efforts to keep the city clean and orderly.
The Deputy General Manager of the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA), Catechist Ambrose Jonah, disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Umuahia. He recalled that the government had earlier advised cattle herders to adopt ranching instead of allowing cows to roam freely within the city.
According to him, areas affected by the restriction include the Government House, Workers’ Secretariat, Commissioners’ Quarters, Aba Road, and other major government and residential zones. He warned that offenders would be arrested and prosecuted going forward.
Jonah also cautioned truck drivers against littering the streets with refuse while transporting waste to disposal sites, stressing that such acts undermine the state’s environmental sanitation efforts. He said the government is determined to ensure that Umuahia remains clean, decent, and befitting of a state capital.
He noted that the unrestricted movement of cows has led to environmental degradation and conflicts in some communities, adding that reports of confrontations and arrests had already been recorded. He stressed that security agencies and community leaders would be involved in enforcing the restrictions peacefully.
The ASEPA DGM explained that a list of roads and areas where cows would no longer be allowed would be officially communicated, especially locations housing 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 engaging stakeholders and promised to relay the government’s directive to his people. He acknowledged that while some non-Hausa residents also own cows, the restriction would apply to everyone without exception.
Danladi said the meeting was timely, noting that he had received several complaints about cow movement within the city.
He pledged the cooperation of the Hausa community to ensure compliance, adding that ranching remains the best option.
The meeting ended with a collective agreement on the need to enforce the restriction lawfully and peacefully to maintain Umuahia as one of the cleanest state capitals in Nigeria.
