Southern, Middle Belt Leaders Reject FG’s Ranching Plan, Warn against Land Seizure

THISDAYLIVE | 27-08-2026 04:45am |

The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders' Forum (SMBLF) has rejected the federal government's proposed pilot scheme for a new national livestock policy, alleging it could lead to the takeover of ancestral lands in the Middle Belt. The statement was signed by leaders of Afenifere, Middle Belt Forum, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and PANDEF, who described the scheme as opaque, coercive, and discriminatory. They expressed concern that the pilot areas are concentrated in the Middle Belt despite the availability of other sparsely populated regions.

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