TIV YOUTH ORGANIZATION REPROVES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S DECLARATION TO ESTABLISH RANCHES AHEAD OF SECURING LIVES AND PROPERTY OF CITIZENS IN BENUE STATE.
We read with weary, worried hearts, the remarks by the Minister of Livestock Development, Mr Idi Maiha on the occasion of his visit to Benue State on the 23rd March, 2025.
As an agrarian state, we had happily received the news of the visit of the Minister, especially at a time we are burdened by coordinated assail on our communities for our agro-inclination and the potential thereof.
The Minister’s visit to the Benue Swine and Crop Improvement Project, Yandev, Gboko Local Government Area and the International Cattle Market, Makurdi left us impressed.
However, when he visited the Benue Livestock Investigation and Breeding Center, located at Raav, in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State, his deceleration that the Federal Government would clear 500 hectares out of the 2400 allocated to the center to receive pasture before the rains left us in shock.
Let me state that establishing standard ranches in Benue State completely aligns with the Ranches Establishment and Open Grazing Prohibition Law (2017) as amended. However, we fail to see how this is priority over the relocation of millions of internally displaced people who are suffering in IDP camps and would suffer worse when the rains return.
The displaced people who fled their ancestral homes were chased away by sophisticatedly armed Fulani herdsmen who are on an obvious conquest mission.
It constitute mockery to the slain and surviving victims of the herdsmen assailants that the Federal Government of Nigeria who would prioritize security of lives and property of citizens who are living in deplorably rough conditions to creating ranches or creating fodder in order to receive cattle for pasture before the rains. It does not seem responsible and complimentary placing human life secondary to the welfare of cattle.
We are equally appalled that by the deceleration of the Minister of Livestock Development, the Federal Government of Nigeria appears unaware or unconcerned or unperturbed by the terror heinously unleashed on Benue communities by Fulani herdsmen resulting to the unfortunate annexation of our people and lands. It is an established fact that these marauding Fulani herdsmen have successfully and forcefully sacked so many communities in over half of the the local governments in Benue State, killing and injuring both the young and the old, raping our women, stealing, destroying farmlands and displacing indigenes in the process. Worse, they have occupied the deserted regions and are openly grazing on such terrains unchallenged, unleashing more terror and capturing more communities.
Benue State, the Food Basket of the Nation can no longer sustain its appellation because farmers dread approaching their farmlands in the fear of trigger-happy Fulani herdsmen wielding sophisticated arms in wait to slay. Food security is threatened throughout the nation by this unfortunate, continued annihilation.
One would think that the Federal Government’s primary responsibility of protecting lives and property would take preeminence, urging them to chase out the invaders and relocate the displaced people back to their ancestral homes rather than seek to urgently clear hectares of land to receive pasture before the rains which may come in less than a month’s time. The urgency on the part of the Federal Government in this regard is not just baffling but suspicious.
The Tiv Youth Organization reproves this in totality. We align completely with the earlier call by our Governor, His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iornem Alia’s for the ban on open grazing while declaring the Benue Livestock Summit 2025, where he urged the Minister of Livestock Development to champion the legislation that would prohibit open grazing in the country and promote ranches, and not to hastily clear hectares of lands to receive pasture. We encourage the Benue State Government to insist on, and utilize the provisions of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law (2017) as amended to curb the menace of Fulani herdsmen attacks. We also discourage the Benue State Government from surrendering even an inch of our land to the Federal Government for fodder or in whatever guise until our displaced people are returned home. We insist that priorities must be set right.
We therefore, call on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency, work out modalities to evict armed Fulani herdsmen occupying sacked communities in Benue State and relocate our displaced people back to their ancestral homes. Only after this will the Federal Government put in place measures to establish standard ranches where herders who meet the requirements for ranching will be accepted and accommodated. We cannot be comfortable living with armed herdsmen in the name of ranching where ranches are not established yet. By establishing ranches for herdsmen on lands that are deserted by indigenes who were chased by the same herdsmen indicates tacit approval and support of the Federal Government to the annexation agenda been carried out by these killer herdsmen.
While we appreciate and encourage the Federal Government to partner with the Benue State Government to improve the Benue Livestock Investigation and Breeding Center, Raav, by rehabilitating the facilities and establishing as many enterprises as possible which aligns with the vision for the center, we urge her to rightly place priorities.The Federal Government of Nigeria should show sincerity and commitment to securing us from the killer herdsmen.
As law abiding citizens, we may not subscribe to wielding sophisticated weapons to harass and cruelly murder fellow humans in cold blood. But we wish to bring to the attention of the authorities that the dastard killings orchestrated by these terrorist can no longer be endured any longer. The government must be responsible for once, failure of which will force us to take our destinies in our hands.
Comr. Andy Aondongu Anzah
President, Tiv Youth Organization (TYO) Worldwide.