The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB has vowed not to allow any governor in the South-East to cede any land in the region for ranching or any agricultural purposes to external forces. The group was reacting to the directive by President Bola Tinubu for state governors to provide land for ranching in their state.
In a press statement issued by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, on Thursday, insisting that there is no land in the south-east for any ranching. They insisted that such a directive would subject the people to avoidable hunger and economic disaster and would further increase food scarcity and insecurity in the country.
The statement read in part, “The attention of the global family of IPOB has been drawn to a call from President Tinubu to the state governors to provide land in each state for ranching. IPOB considers such a call as a great disservice to the people who have been massacred by the same foreign marauding terrorists nicknamed herdsmen.
“Nigerian media yesterday reported what could be considered as a great disservice, the president’s call during a political inauguration of his agricultural programme in Niger State, where he was said to have asked the state governors to provide land for RUGA and ranches.
“Perhaps the president has forgotten that political campaigns where promises are made to win elections are over. The recent public call for the state governors to provide land for agriculture is not in good fate because it will embolden terrorist herdsmen.
“Nevertheless, we in the IPOB movement and family will never allow ceding or selling any part of our ancestorial land to these dangerous terrorists and bandits for whatever reason. The Biafra region has no land for whatever purpose. Biafrans are farmers and pastoralists, too.
“Our lands are not sufficient for Biafrans to farm and rear livestock, let alone ceding some to the dangerous terrorists. President Tinubu can cede lands in the South-West and the North, but definitely not in the South-East and South-South.
The statement further urged South-East governors to ignore the order, adding that IPOB will resist attempts by any governor to sell any land.
