The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has strongly opposed the proposed establishment of a Fulani colony in the state. This comes after Vice President Kashim Shetima announced the approval of 1,000 houses in several states, including Benue, for the Fulani community, complete with schools, clinics, veterinary clinics, and ranches.
The PDP, through its publicity secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, labeled the establishment of Fulani colonies in Benue as a “deathly serious nature” and pledged that the state’s people would vehemently reject it. The party cited several reasons for its opposition.
First, it argued that Benue does not have a peer-to-peer basis for including the state among those selected for the colonies. Unlike other states with large indigenous Fulani populations and substantial land holdings, Benue lacks such a population and available land for such colonies.
Second, the PDP pointed out the injustice and insensitivity of establishing a colony for the Fulani in a state where victims of genocidal atrocities committed by the Fulani are still displaced from their lands and living in subhuman conditions in camps. The party criticized the failure to fulfill promises made by the Federal Government, such as the pledge of 10 billion Naira to resettle displaced persons, which has not materialized.
The PDP emphasized that displaced persons in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps are still being attacked and killed by Fulani herdsmen, preventing them from returning to their ancestral lands. The party called for the removal of Benue State from the list of states designated for Fulani colonies.
This opposition reflects ongoing tensions and debates surrounding land use and security issues involving Fulani herders and farming communities in Nigeria.