CSO warns South East Nigeria’s governors against ceding land to herdsmen

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has warned governors in South East states of Nigeria against plans by Fulani Herdsmen to acquire land in the region.

The South east of Nigeria is the smallest geo-political zones in land size despite its density in population.

Niger, a state in north central Nigeria is twice its size.

But the group argues that the South-East region does not have enough land to allocate for this purpose.

They specifically cautioned the Governors of Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Imo, and Ebonyi states to refrain from any attempts to establish herders’ settlements in their respective states.

“Intersociety observed suspicious activities suggesting that these governors and their governments might be involved in covertly supporting the establishment of such settlements,” the group said in statement.

Despite denials and justifications provided by the governors, there are strong suspicions that these moves are politically motivated.

The group highlighted the lack of public condemnation by these governors regarding the violence and atrocities committed by Fulani Herdsmen in their states.

The involvement of the Federal Government in these plans, as disclosed by the governments of Enugu and Abia, further raises suspicions, Intersociety said.

“The explanations provided by these governments, such as building a military base for cow ranching in Enugu and collaborating with the Federal Government to build a trailer park in Abia, are deemed questionable by Intersociety,” the group added.

The group expressed concerns that these actions by the governors and their governments may not be in the best interest of the people and could potentially lead to unfavorable consequences.

They cautioned against the potential implications of these moves and called for lawful and popular resistance against any attempts to establish herders’ settlements in the South-East region.

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