The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s proposal to establish cattle ranches in Abuja, the ancestral homeland of the Gbagi people, and other states.
IPOB described the plan as a rebranded version of the controversial Ruga policy and a veiled attempt at land acquisition under the guise of government policy.
In a Tuesday press statement, IPOB spokesperson Emma Powerful called it shameful that the Federal Government prioritizes cattle settlements over education, security, and innovation in the 21st century.
He warned that what started as grazing needs historically led to the subjugation of indigenous territories, citing the rise of foreign emirates and the displacement of native landowners. Powerful argued that Abuja risks a similar fate if the plan proceeds.
The statement questioned whether President Tinubu is unaware that no major global city—from Nairobi to Seoul—allows permanent cattle settlements near central governance areas, calling the proposal a uniquely Nigerian absurdity. IPOB emphasized that the land around Abuja belongs to the Gbagi people, and dispossessing them through executive action is an act of aggression and cultural erasure.
Powerful predicted that the Gbagi could face marginalization, potentially leading to an “Emir of Abuja” and their reduction to historical relics, as seen in other regions. IPOB vowed to resist any efforts to implement this agenda in Biafraland, declaring their forests, villages, and farmlands sacred and non-negotiable.
The group suggested transporting livestock by rail, as done in advanced societies, rather than displacing indigenous communities. IPOB criticized the government’s failure to understand that ranches do not belong near homes, schools, or markets, reflecting a broader administrative shortfall.
IPOB expressed solidarity with the Gbagi and other indigenous groups facing existential threats from what they describe as Fulani neo-colonial ambitions disguised as national policy.
They called for respect for Nigeria’s diversity, preservation of cultures, protection of ancestral lands, and an end to violence linked to cattle-related policies, urging the nation to choose reason over ruin.
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