PRESS RELEASE
By Inno Adulugba
Several civil and religious bodies in Benue State have flatly rejected the Federal Government’s proposed pilot livestock ranches in Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Adamawa, and the FCT, calling it a recipe for conflict, not peace.
Leading the opposition is the Pan Idoma Congress (PIC), the umbrella socio-cultural body for Idoma, Agatu, Alago, Afor, Yala, Ufia, Etulo, Doma, Yace, Ette and other Idomaoid nationalities domiciled in Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Cross River, Enugu and Ebonyi State.
The rejection follows the announcement by the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, who said President Bola Tinubu was briefed on the “National Ranching Policy” on Tuesday. Maiha also disclosed ongoing consultations with pastoralist leaders under the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III. The Minister claimed the policy will end farmer-herder clashes.
The PIC in a press statement signed by the National Coordinator, Engr. Professor Emmanuel Olotu, the National Secretary General, Barr. Ene Orga, and the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ameh Odu, stated that the opposite is however the case.
“This is placing the cart before the horse while our people are still being buried,” the PIC statement said.
The PIC accused the FG of ignoring the unresolved mass killings, land grabbing, and plundering of Benue communities, and instead pushing a policy that rewards violence with land.
“Pacify the grieving first. Return our displaced people to their ancestral homes. Let them farm in peace. You cannot build ranches on graves and call it development,” Olotu stated.
PIC warned that the rehabilitation of old grazing reserves and imposition of federal settlements amounts to state-backed land-grabbing for nomadic pastoralists.
The group also flagged a direct constitutional clash, noting the proposal violates Benue’s Anti-Open Grazing Law.
“This will trigger a legal and political showdown between Abuja and Makurdi. More importantly, it will deepen suspicion and insecurity. Our people see this as a veiled push for demographic takeover and territorial control,” the statement added.
“If communities feel cornered and marginalized, you will only invite more armed incursions and retaliatory attacks.”
PIC described the so-called “livestock hub” promoted by the Minister and backed by the Sultan as a populist cover for ethno-religious encroachment.
The Nigeria Catholic Diocesan Priests Association (NCDPA), Makurdi Diocese, echoed the rejection in even starker terms.
“This arrangement is capable of undermining the rights, dignity, security and ancestral heritage of our people,” said Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe, CMF.
“We cannot accept a policy imposed on communities that have suffered killings, displacement, destruction and prolonged insecurity. Ranching must never become a disguised instrument for land grabbing, forced occupation, or the permanent displacement of indigenous communities.”
The Priests called on the Federal Government to:
- Respect the constitutional rights of Benue people
- Engage the State Government, traditional and community leaders transparently
- Prioritize the safe return of displaced persons to their ancestral lands
“Anything short of that is complicity,” the statement concluded.
Other groups and individuals who have spoken in the same vein include Barr. Alex Adum, the immediate past Chairman of BIPC; the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Franc Utoh, a constitutional and human rights lawyer based in the USA, and others.
Key objections raised by them include Lack of Consultation, Fear of Land Grabbing, Displacement Priorities, Agrarian Realities, and Insensitivity to the Plight of the Benue people.
For further comments, contact:
Pan-Idoma Congress Secretariat, Makurdi
NCDPA, Makurdi Diocese
