The Middle Belt Forum, MBF, has rejected the Federal Government’s renewed cattle ranching policy, describing the proposed allocation of land for livestock settlements in parts of the Middle Belt as an alleged land-grabbing scheme disguised as livestock development.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ELLAN.png")
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-Summer-IDRI-Masterclass.jpg")
The Forum called for the immediate suspension and cancellation of the policy in affected Middle Belt states and urged communities to employ lawful and constitutional means to resist any implementation they consider contrary to their interests.
In a statement issued by its spokesman, Luka Binniyat, the MBF alleged that hundreds of thousands of hectares of land across the Middle Belt had already been abandoned or occupied following years of attacks, killings and displacement blamed on armed herders.
The Forum argued that rather than prioritising the return of displaced communities to their ancestral lands and providing adequate security, the Federal Government was contemplating the acquisition of additional land for cattle settlements.
“This is unfortunate and unacceptable,” the statement said.
The MBF also called on lawyers across the Middle Belt to prepare legal challenges against any alleged unlawful acquisition or allocation of community lands under the ranching programme.
It urged legal practitioners to “mobilise and challenge in court any unlawful land acquisition” connected with the policy.
The Forum further called on members of the National Assembly representing affected states to defend the interests of their constituents and summon the relevant federal authorities to explain the policy.
“The Middle Belt Forum, after carefully studying the Federal Government’s renewed cattle ranching policy, unequivocally rejects the proposed allocation of Middle Belt lands for ranching and the disguised establishment of settlements for Fulani pastoralists,” it said.
The group specifically identified Adamawa, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Benue, Taraba and the Federal Capital Territory as areas it considers part of the Middle Belt that have experienced severe violence and displacement.
According to the MBF, attacks remain ongoing in some of the affected communities, making the proposed ranching programme particularly sensitive.
The Forum questioned why the Federal Government was considering Middle Belt locations when, according to it, states such as Jigawa, Kano, Sokoto, Bauchi, Zamfara and parts of Kebbi have large expanses of land that could also be considered for livestock projects.
It also expressed concern over what it described as changes to the list of states proposed for the pilot programme.
According to the MBF, Kano State was included among the initial locations when the initiative was announced in January 2026 but had subsequently been replaced by Nasarawa State.
The Forum said the substitution placed another Middle Belt state at the centre of the programme and heightened concerns among communities already apprehensive about land ownership and security.
It warned that implementing such a policy without extensive consultation and genuine consent from affected communities could deepen resentment and create further tensions.
“A policy imposed without the genuine consent of every stakeholder — not only politicians and elites — after exhaustive consultation and security assurance guaranteed the owners of the land, can only breed conflict,” the statement said.
“It will deepen resentment and could trigger serious problems.”
The MBF maintained that traditional landowners and communities must be directly involved in any decision affecting ancestral lands.
“The MBF will not stand by while our ancestral land is taken from their owners,” it said.
The Forum also brought the 2027 general elections into the controversy, warning President Bola Tinubu and governors supporting the ranching initiative that the policy could have political consequences.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must realise the danger of this policy and its negative electoral consequences ahead of the 2027 presidential election,” the statement said.
It similarly warned governors contemplating the allocation of land for the programme that communities would take their decisions into account, particularly where such governors seek re-election.
“Governors who surrender ancestral lands for this programme must know that their people will remember, especially those seeking re-election,” the MBF added.
The Forum insisted that its opposition was directed at compulsory or allegedly unlawful land acquisition and demanded broad consultations, security guarantees and the consent of affected communities before any ranching programme is implemented.
“Order Justice Omolaye-Ajileye’s Electronic Evidence Books Now” — Essential Guides On Evidence Act, Case Law And Digital Proof
[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation
______________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence
Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via:
0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888
Website: www.alexandernigeria.com
