Alia Rejects FG Ranching Plan, Vows No Benue Land Will Be Ceded

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has rejected any plan to establish ranches in the state without the approval of his administration and the consent of the people.

Alia said on Tuesday that his government would resist any attempt to cede portions of Benue land to pastoralists for ranching, insisting that no external authority would determine how the state’s land should be used.

The governor spoke at a town hall meeting with stakeholders from Katsina-Ala, Ukum and Logo Federal Constituency as part of his statewide thank-you tour following his emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2027 governorship election.

“Nobody will force us to cede even an inch of our land to pastoralists for any purpose,” Alia said.

“If that must happen, I can assure you, it will not be this time that I am still the governor of Benue.”

His position comes against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s proposed ranching programme aimed at addressing the persistent farmer-herder crisis, which has resulted in deaths, destruction of property and displacement of communities in Benue and other states.

The Federal Government had indicated that the ranching initiative would begin with a pilot project in Plateau State before extending to Benue, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Adamawa and the Federal Capital Territory.

Alia, however, did not indicate that his administration would support the proposed arrangement in Benue, stressing that the state’s land remained a matter requiring the consent of its people and government.

Beyond the land issue, the governor announced fresh measures to strengthen security in Katsina-Ala, Ukum and Logo, saying three military operational units would be established in the area under the newly created 5 Division of the Nigerian Army.

He said the units would be located in Agu, Katsina-Ala; Anyiin, Logo; and Azendeshi, Ukum.

Alia also announced the donation of 30 motorcycles to security agencies to improve patrol operations and enable security personnel to respond more quickly to distress calls.

The governor said the measures were part of efforts to improve security across the three local government areas and protect communities from attacks.

On infrastructure and power supply, Alia disclosed that his administration was planning the construction of a dam with an estimated power generation capacity of 460 megawatts.

According to him, the project is expected to provide water while also supporting electricity generation in the state.

The governor is currently visiting the state’s 11 federal constituencies as part of his thank-you tour following his emergence as the APC’s candidate for the 2027 governorship election.

The tour, which includes town hall meetings with community leaders and other stakeholders, is expected to continue across the remaining constituencies in the coming days.

Alia said the engagements would provide an opportunity for his administration to interact directly with residents and receive feedback on issues affecting their communities.