The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has rejected the Federal Government’s renewed cattle ranching policy, describing the proposed allocation of land in parts of the Middle Belt as a “forceful land-grabbing scheme” disguised as livestock development.
The forum, in a statement signed by its National Spokesman, Luka Binniyat, said the policy could further deepen tensions in communities that have suffered years of violent attacks, displacement and destruction attributed to Fulani militias.
The MBF specifically opposed the proposed use of lands in Adamawa, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Benue, Taraba and the Federal Capital Territory, describing the areas as part of the Middle Belt that had suffered some of the worst violence.
“We unequivocally reject the proposed allocation of Middle Belt lands for ranching and the disguised establishment of settlements for Fulani pastoralists,” Binniyat said.
According to the forum, “hundreds of thousands of hectares of Middle Belt land have already been forcefully abandoned or occupied” following years of attacks, killings and displacement.
It questioned why the government would consider allocating additional land for cattle settlements rather than first returning displaced communities to their ancestral homes and providing adequate security.
“Instead of restoring the occupants of those lands to the displaced owners and securing them against further attacks, the government is considering taking more land for cattle settlements,” the statement said.
The MBF also criticised the Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, accusing him of pursuing an expansionist agenda.
The forum said the minister’s background as a cattle breeder should have made him consider areas in the northern part of the country where, according to the group, there are large expanses of unused land.
“Jigawa, Kano, Sokoto, Bauchi, Zamfara and Northern Kebbi have thousands of square kilometres of empty, unused lands that are not inhabited,” the statement said, questioning why none of those states was being considered for the pilot ranching scheme.
The organisation also raised concerns over changes to the list of states selected for the proposed programme.
It noted that Kano State was among the six locations announced by the minister in January 2026 but had subsequently been replaced by Nasarawa State, another state in the Middle Belt.
“This change raises questions about the real objective of the policy and strengthens fears that the programme is becoming a vehicle for expanding permanent Fulani settlements into the Middle Belt,” the MBF said.
The forum further rejected the Wase ranching model in Plateau State, which it said had been presented by the minister as an example of the proposed policy.
According to the MBF, many farmers and Plateau indigenes oppose the model, while support for it allegedly comes largely from elites, politicians and some traditional rulers who stand to benefit from the allocation of land.
It warned that imposing a ranching programme without the genuine consent of affected communities could worsen existing tensions.
“A policy imposed without the genuine consent of every stakeholder, not only politicians and elites, after exhaustive consultation and security assurance guaranteed to the owners of the land, can only breed conflict,” the statement said.
The MBF urged President Bola Tinubu to reconsider the policy, warning that its implementation could have political consequences ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
“The MBF will not stand by while our ancestral land is taken from their owners,” Binniyat declared.
The forum consequently demanded the “immediate suspension and cancellation” of what it described as the provocative policy in the Middle Belt.
It also called on affected communities to use “every lawful and constitutional means” to resist implementation, while urging lawyers across the region to challenge in court any alleged unlawful acquisition or allocation of community land.
The group further appealed to National Assembly members from affected states to summon the Minister of Livestock Development and defend the interests of their constituents.
It similarly warned governors against surrendering community lands without the consent of their people, saying such decisions could affect their political fortunes.
“Electorates should therefore use every lawful democratic means, including the ballot, to reject the re-election of any governor who allocates community lands without genuine consent of the people,” the statement said.
(The Sun)