A proposal by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to establish cattle ranches in Abuja has sparked backlash from the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who describe the plan as a veiled attempt to revive the discredited RUGA initiative and displace indigenous communities.
In a statement released on Wednesday, IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful accused the government of seeking to reward violent herders by allocating land around the Federal Capital Territory — traditionally home to the Gbagi ethnic group — for ranching purposes.
“The land belongs to the Gbagi people. They have no other homeland. Establishing ranches in Abuja is not just misplaced policy — it is cultural aggression,” the group said.
IPOB warned that the plan could have long-term socio-political consequences, including the marginalisation of native communities. It compared the proposed policy to the historical domination of Hausa territories in northern Nigeria, claiming it followed a similar pattern of “conquest and deception”.
The group criticised the Tinubu administration for what it viewed as misplaced priorities, asking why the government was investing in livestock policy while security, education, and innovation remained underfunded.
“Cattle ranches have no business being established in capital cities,” IPOB stated. “No modern nation zones its capital for livestock. If cattle must be raised, let it be in remote areas and supported by efficient logistics, as practised in developed countries.”
Calling the plan “an incentive for ethnic cleansing”, IPOB said the project would exacerbate tensions in an already fragile security climate and vowed to resist any similar moves in southeastern Nigeria — its declared region of concern.
The statement also referenced the ongoing detention of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, who has previously argued in court against nomadic cattle herding and advocated for a modern livestock industry.
IPOB called on the government to adopt rational policies that respect Nigeria’s ethnic diversity, urging an end to what it called the “politicisation of cattle” and the “subjugation of indigenous populations”.
The federal government has yet to officially respond to IPOB’s claims. The ranching plan, part of a broader strategy to address farmer-herder conflicts, remains a sensitive issue in Nigeria’s ethnically diverse political landscape.
