Herdsmen Cut Down Trees Planted to Beautify Abuja Airport Road to Feed Cows

Adeyemi Abdulkareem

One of the most picturesque sights upon entering Abuja from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, the meticulously planted trees lining both sides of Airport Road, has fallen victim to a disheartening incident. In recent times, these trees, originally intended to enhance the road’s aesthetics and create a positive impression on visitors, have been mercilessly destroyed and cut down by roaming herdsmen.

What the trees looked like before the act

The result is a stark contrast to the initial vision, with the once lush and vibrant trees now standing bare and leafless. This devastation has left the road’s flanks devoid of the natural beauty that was intended to greet travelers arriving in the country’s capital.

Airport Road boasts a multitude of facilities and government establishments, including the Airforce base, correctional facility, police station, immigration and civil defense headquarters, Nigerian Customs, Nigerian Army Base, and the Aviation University, among many others. These facilities collectively enhance the road’s significance.

In response to this alarming situation, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, recently made a resolute commitment to eradicate the practice of cattle grazing by herdsmen in the Abuja City Centre.

Earlier this year, the Federal Capital Territory Administration had already pledged to seize cattle and take legal action against herders found grazing within the city. The director of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Osi Braimah, firmly asserted, “The laws against grazing of animals in the FCT are quite clear. Grazing along the airport road is illegal. We must try to enforce these laws. We are going to seize these animals and take the violators to court soonest.”

This incident not only raises concerns about the desecration of the city’s beautification efforts but also the broader issue of cattle grazing in urban areas. It has prompted calls for a more concerted effort to uphold existing regulations and ensure that visitors to the nation’s capital are greeted with a more fitting and aesthetically pleasing first impression than cows and deforested trees.