Nigeria, Aug. 18 -- The Akwa Ibom State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has taken over the prosecution of the criminal case involving a herder accused of allowing cattle to destroy the farmland of investigative journalist and farmer, Ibanga Isine.

The development followed an order by the Chief Magistrate, Court 1, Maureen Udoka, on Tuesday, directing the police to hand over the case file to the DPP.

The case, Commissioner of Police v. Abdullahi Yusuf, arose from allegations that cattle repeatedly invaded and destroyed farms operated by Mr Isine in Uyo.

The matter has attracted public attention because it is seen as a test of the enforcement of Akwa Ibom State's anti-open grazing law, which prohibits open grazing of livestock a...