Governor Alia kicks against FG’s plan to cede Benue land for ranching

Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has rejected any proposal to establish ranches in the state without the consent of his administration and the people, saying residents would resist any attempt to take their land for pastoral activities.

Alia made the remarks on Tuesday, August 25, during a town hall meeting with stakeholders from the Katsina-Ala, Ukum and Logo federal constituency.

“Nobody will force us to cede even an inch of our land to pastoralists for any purpose,” he said. “If that must happen, I can assure you, it will not be this time that I am still the governor of Benue.” The governor’s comments come amid a proposed federal government ranching programme aimed at addressing the persistent farmer-herder crisis, which has resulted in deaths and displacement in Benue and other parts of Nigeria.

The Federal Government has said the ranching initiative would begin with a pilot project in Plateau State before being extended to Benue, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Adamawa and the Federal Capital Territory. During the town hall meeting, Alia also announced measures to strengthen security in Katsina-Ala, Ukum and Logo.

He said three military operational units would be established in the area under the newly created 5 Division of the Nigerian Army. The units are expected to be located in Agu, Katsina-Ala; Anyiin, Logo; and Azendeshi, Ukum. The governor also announced the donation of 30 motorcycles to security agencies to enhance patrols and improve their response to distress calls.

On infrastructure, Alia said his administration planned to construct a dam with a projected electricity generation capacity of 460 megawatts. “The project will provide water and support electricity generation in the state,” he said.

Alia is currently undertaking a statewide thank-you tour following his emergence as the All Progressives Congress candidate for the 2027 governorship election. The tour includes town hall meetings with stakeholders across the state’s 11 federal constituencies.

The governor said similar engagements would be held in the remaining constituencies in the coming days.