Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A formidable coalition of Benue State's most influential socio-cultural organisations has delivered a blunt rejection of the Federal Government's proposed pilot ranching scheme, declaring that the over 500,000 internally displaced persons languishing in camps across the state must be resettled in their ancestral homes before any land is allocated for ranches. The three major tribal bodies — Mzough U Tiv (MUT), Ochetoha k'Idoma (OKI) and Omi Ny'Igede (ONI) — made their position known at a press conference in Makurdi on Friday, August 14, 2026, warning that the government's plan risks rewarding violence and dispossession unless fundamental conditions are met.
Air Commodore Titus Agbecha (retd.), President-General of MUT Worldwide and Chairman of the Benue Socio-Cultural Organisations, flanked by his counterparts from OKI and ONI, told journalists that while modern ranching could reduce farmer-herder conflicts and improve food security if properly implemented, Benue's peculiar security and humanitarian situation makes it inappropriate to proceed without first addressing the plight of displaced communities. "We currently have over 500,000 Benue people living in Internally Displaced Persons camps across Benue State," Agbecha declared. "They have no home to return to, no shelter, no farms and no livelihood. It is unjust to discuss new land use for ranches when the owners of the land are still refugees in their own state."
The retired Air Commodore painted a grim picture of a state that has been under siege for more than five years, with villages attacked, occupied, and residents killed or chased away without comprehensive mediation, justice or resettlement. "Establishing ranches under this atmosphere will be seen as rewarding violence and dispossession," he warned. The groups also cautioned that any programme involving large-scale land acquisition must not undermine food production, stressing that Benue remains the food basket of the nation. "For Nigeria to be food secure, Benue farmers must first be secure on their land," Agbecha added.
The rejection of the Federal Government's plan was not limited to the socio-cultural organisations. The Nigeria Catholic Diocesan Priests Association (NCDPA), Makurdi Diocese, also issued a strong statement rejecting the proposal, describing Benue as an "already bleeding and targeted state" and warning that the plan could threaten ancestral lands and the security of residents. Rev. Fr. Joseph Terfa Beba, Chairman of the NCDPA, expressed concern over the alleged exclusion of the state government from the decision-making process. "Had the elected leadership of Benue State been genuinely consulted, we believe it would never have consented to any arrangement capable of undermining the rights, dignity, security and ancestral heritage of our people," the priests said in a statement.
The Catholic priests warned that ranching must not become "a disguised instrument for land grabbing, forced occupation or the permanent displacement of indigenous communities." They declared that "our land is not for sale and has never been on sale," insisting that there is no land in Benue available for commercial ranching. "Our ancestral homes are not bargaining chips. Our people must return home," the statement added. The NCDPA also commended the Catholic Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, for his consistent opposition to policies they believe could threaten the ancestral lands of Benue people.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State also joined the chorus of opposition, rejecting the Federal Government's plan to reintroduce grazing reserves under its proposed National Ranching Policy. The party's State Publicity Secretary, Bright Antyo, described the plan as an attempt to reintroduce rejected policies such as Ruga and cattle colonies "through the back door." Antyo insisted that "Benue land is not available" for such settlements and challenged Governor Hyacinth Alia to publicly disclose whether his administration has consented to the inclusion of the state in the proposed programme. The PDP maintained that it supports genuine livestock development and modern ranching, provided livestock owners lawfully acquire land and establish ranches as private businesses, just as farmers acquire land for agricultural purposes.
The party also expressed concern over alleged moves by the Alia administration to repeal or substantially weaken the Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law, 2017, which was enacted after extensive consultations following years of bloodshed, displacement and destruction caused by farmer-herder conflicts. The PDP demanded full disclosure from the Alia administration on any discussions, agreements or commitments made regarding the reported ranching policy. "Benue has suffered enough. Our people have buried enough loved ones. They have abandoned enough farms. They have spent enough years in displacement camps," the party said.
The Federal Government, through the Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Maiha, had earlier disclosed that Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kaduna, Adamawa and the Federal Capital Territory had been identified as priority areas for the pilot implementation of the National Ranching Policy. The policy is part of a broader push to end decades of farmers-herders clashes through the establishment of modern ranching settlements. However, the opposition in Benue has been swift and united, cutting across ethnic, religious and political lines. The three socio-cultural organisations, the Catholic priests, and the PDP have all insisted that the safe return and resettlement of IDPs must be the government's first priority.
The leaders have called for genuine consultation, consent and appropriate compensation for host communities before any ranching project is undertaken. They have also demanded comprehensive mediation, security of lives and restoration of occupied communities before the scheme is introduced. Agbecha, speaking on behalf of the three groups, stressed that "peace must precede policy." He appealed to Benue residents to remain calm and law-abiding, assuring that the socio-cultural organisations would continue to engage relevant authorities through dialogue. "We are not against modern ranching," Agbecha reiterated, "but it must be voluntary, community-driven and must not displace food production."
As the debate over the National Ranching Policy intensifies, the united opposition in Benue State has set a clear condition: before any land is allocated for ranches, the over 500,000 displaced people must be returned to their ancestral homes. The government now faces a choice between pressing ahead with a policy that has been rejected by the very communities it is meant to benefit, or heeding the call for justice and resettlement. For the people of Benue, the message is unambiguous: their land is not for sale, and their people must come home first.
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