MAKURDI, BENUE STATE —Three major socio-cultural organisations in Benue State have urged the Federal Government to prioritise the safe return and resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) before implementing its proposed pilot ranching scheme in the Middle Belt.

The groups — Mdzough U Tiv, Ochetoha ‘k Idoma and Omi Ny’Igede — made the demand at a press conference in Benue on Friday while reacting to plans by the Federal Government to establish pilot ranches in Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau states.

Speaking on behalf of the organisations, their Chairman, Air Commodore (Retired) Titus Agbecha, said the groups supported ranching as a modern approach to livestock production but expressed concern about how the policy would be implemented in communities affected by displacement and insecurity.

Agbecha claimed that more than 500,000 Benue residents were currently living in IDP camps across the state, after losing homes, farmland and livelihoods to violence.

He argued that allocating land for ranching while displaced residents remain unable to safely return to their ancestral communities would be unjust.

The groups also raised concerns about communities they said had remained affected by attacks or occupation for years without comprehensive mediation, justice and resettlement.

They warned that establishing ranches in such areas, without first addressing displacement and insecurity, could be perceived as rewarding violence and dispossession.

Ranching Must Not Undermine Benue’s Food Production

The socio-cultural organisations further cautioned against large-scale land acquisition for ranching, arguing that it could threaten agricultural production in a state widely recognised as Nigeria’s food-producing hub.

They called for genuine consultation, community consent and appropriate compensation for affected host communities.

According to the groups, any ranching programme should be voluntary, community-driven and structured in a way that protects existing agricultural activities and food production.

“Peace must precede policy,” Agbecha said, urging the Federal Government to first guarantee security, restore affected communities and facilitate the return of IDPs.

He also appealed to Benue residents to remain calm and law-abiding, saying the organisations would continue engaging government authorities through dialogue.

“For Nigeria to be food secure, Benue farmers must first be secure on their land,” he said.

The call comes as the Federal Government advances discussions around ranching as part of efforts to address recurring farmer-herder conflicts and improve livestock production.

The socio-cultural organisations said they were not opposed to ranching itself, but insisted that security, justice, resettlement and the protection of agricultural land must form the foundation of any ranching policy in Benue State.