‘Not While I Am Governor, Benue Won’t Cede Land To Herders’ – Alia Declares

The Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, has declared that nobody will force his administration or the people of the state to surrender any part of their land to pastoralists for ranching or any other purpose.

Alia made the position clear during a town hall meeting with stakeholders from the Sankera bloc, comprising Katsina-Ala, Ukum, and Logo Local Government Areas of the state.

The governor, who spoke against the backdrop of renewed concerns over the Federal Government’s pilot ranching policy, said Benue would not give up its land without the consent of its people.

“Nobody will force us to cede even an inch of our land to the pastoralist for any purpose. If that must happen, I can assure you, it will not be this time that I am still the Governor of Benue State,” he said.

The Federal Government had included Benue among the states selected for the first phase of its pilot ranching programme, reigniting concerns over land use and the management of pastoralism in the state.

However, Alia maintained that his administration would not support any arrangement that involves allocating Benue land to pastoralists without the approval of the state government and the people.

His position also comes amid the state’s existing ban on open grazing and the continuing debate over ranching as a way of addressing the recurring clashes between farmers and herders.

While addressing stakeholders, the governor also announced fresh measures to strengthen security in the Sankera axis.

Alia disclosed that three military operational units would be deployed to strategic locations across the area.

According to him, the units would be stationed at Agu in Katsina-Ala, Anyiin in Logo and Azendeshi in Ukum.

He added that the state government would also provide 30 motorcycles to security agencies to improve patrols and enable faster responses to security threats.

The governor further announced plans to construct a new dam with a projected capacity of 460 megawatts.

He said the project would provide water for the people while also supporting electricity generation in the state.

Naija News reports that Alia is currently on a statewide thank-you tour of All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders following his emergence as the party’s candidate for the 2027 governorship election.

The town hall meetings are being held across the state’s 11 federal constituencies as part of the governor’s engagement with party members and other stakeholders.