The Federal Government’s plan to establish Ruga settlement for herders across the country is likely to meet a brick wall in Igbo land as a group, The Concerned People of Igbo land, have vowed to resist the move, insisting there is no land for the project in the area.
The reason, according to the groups is because, “Igboland is small and densely populated.”
In a statement issued by Ben Nwankwo & Evans Nwankwo, Executive Directors, Ambassador for Self-Determination USA; Chief Sylvester Onyia, President, American Veterans Of Igbo Descent AVID and Maxwell Dede & Rev Father Augustine Odimegwa, Rising Sun Group, the groups warned any community leader, traditional ruler or State governor who has the intention of releasing land for such purpose to desist from it.
“We the concerned people of Igbo land have said it before and we are saying it again: There is no land for RUGA anywhere in Igbo land—not today, not tomorrow, not ever!
“We will resist it with everything in us. RUGA is not about peace or development. It is a private business disguised as a government policy. It is a hidden plan to take over our ancestral lands and hand them to Fulani settlers, using agriculture as an excuse.
“Igbo land is small and densely populated. We are over 800 people per square kilometre, making us the most crowded region in Nigeria. We are already struggling to find land for farming, housing, and industries. So how can anyone expect us to give out land for cows?” the statement reads.
The groups noted that the RUGA project and the so-called National Waterways Bill are part of the same evil plan.
“They are trying to seize control of our lands, rivers, and streams and give them to outsiders. We rejected this plan before, and nothing has changed to make us accept it now.”
The Igbo Groups advised the federal government, if it is serious about ranching, to go to Niger State, which has over 76,000 square kilometres of land—far more than the whole of the Southeast put together.
They observed that the incidents in Benue State, which has become a killing field where over 1,800 people , according to human rights reports, have been killed by armed herdsmen from 2018 to 2023, is because the people welcomed these so-called herders.
“Even here in Igbo land, Lokpanta cattle market in Abia State has become a hotbed of crime, kidnapping, and killings. We don’t want that problem to spread.
We cannot allow people who may become killers of our women and children tomorrow to settle on our land today.
“IPOB Already Mobilized Against RUGA
It was Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB that first raised the alarm and stood up for our people when this RUGA and Waterways matter started under President Buhari.They educated our people, led peaceful protests, and helped rural communities say no to this evil plan.”
The groups warned Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State to shelf the plan of creating land for Ruga.
“What makes Governor Soludo think Igbo people will suddenly accept it now?
The answer is simple: We will not!
“We are using this medium to warn Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State: Stop playing with Igbo lives. Stop negotiating with our blood.
You were not elected to sell our land or our future.
“We also call on all governors and politicians in the Southeast who may have collected ₦6 billion each as bribe to support this RUGA project—return the blood money now! The people are watching. History will remember. And there will be no hiding place for anyone who betrays Igbo land.”
They made it clear that they are not against honest livestock business as many people were already running successful farms in Nsukka, Eke, Obollo Afor, and other places, but those are private businesses on family land—not federal land grabbed under the cover of RUGA.”
