The Middle Belt Concern, a coalition of more than 80 civil society and community organisations, has opposed the proposed establishment of ranching reserves and criticised the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the current administration.
The coalition also declared a state of emergency over the persistent killings and displacement of communities across the Middle Belt, calling on the Federal Government to urgently secure affected areas and facilitate the return of displaced residents.
The group’s convener, Ier Jonathan-Ichaver, made the position known on Thursday at a media roundtable in Lagos.
Jonathan-Ichaver said the coalition rejected the ranching reserve proposal because communities displaced by violence should be helped to return to their ancestral homes rather than face policies that could result in further displacement.
She called for improved security, trauma support for victims and a comprehensive plan for restoring displaced communities.
“The government must secure communities, provide trauma care for victims and establish a clear roadmap for the restoration of displaced persons,” she said.
“The killing must stop, the displaced must be restored, and the politics of denial must end now.”
According to her, residents of Benue, Southern Kaduna, Kogi, Kwara, Plateau and other Middle Belt communities have endured years of violence, with many forced to abandon their homes, farms and sources of livelihood.
She accused governments at all levels of failing to adequately fulfil their constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property.
The coalition therefore demanded a credible national register of displaced persons, the physical protection of ancestral communities, trauma care for victims and a binding framework for restorative justice.
Opposition to Muslim-Muslim ticket
The group also took issue with the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, describing it as inconsistent with Nigeria’s religious diversity.
Jonathan-Ichaver said the coalition rejected the arrangement and urged the administration to address what it considered an imbalance in the country’s political representation.
“We reject, without qualification, the Muslim-Muslim ticket forced on this nation by the present administration,” she said.
She described the arrangement as a departure from the religious balance that had previously helped to accommodate Nigeria’s pluralistic character.
The coalition also disputed the description of violence in the Middle Belt as merely “farmer-herder clashes” or “communal clashes”.
Jonathan-Ichaver said such characterisations failed to adequately portray what she described as the scale and persistence of attacks on communities in the region.
“What is happening in the Middle Belt is not a clash. It is not a misunderstanding between neighbours,” she said.
She alleged that repeated attacks had emptied villages and displaced large numbers of residents, while women and children had been subjected to severe hardships.
The coalition said it would continue to work with civil society organisations and other stakeholders to push for accountability and an end to violence in the region.
Activist demands prosecution
A rights activist, Steven Kefas, also called for suspected terrorists to be prosecuted rather than simply rehabilitated.
Kefas criticised the practice of describing suspected members of violent groups as “repentant terrorists”, arguing that individuals accused of killing should first face trial and be dealt with under the law.
“There should be accountability. Terrorists who have killed people before should be tried according to the law of the land and prosecuted,” he said.
He argued that effective prosecution and punishment would serve as a deterrent to others who might consider joining terrorist organisations.
Kefas also expressed concern over the plight of displaced victims, saying many remained in difficult conditions in camps while alleged perpetrators were reportedly undergoing rehabilitation.
Group seeks return to national values
The coalition’s co-convener, Marie Orgah, called for a revival of national values, particularly truth and integrity.
Orgah said the erosion of shared values had contributed to corruption, division and other problems confronting the country.
“We need to bring back our national values, and one of such values is the value of truth,” she said.
She argued that nations without clearly defined and respected values were vulnerable to crises because citizens and institutions could operate without a common ethical framework.
The Middle Belt Concern consequently urged the Federal Government to take immediate and verifiable measures to protect communities, return displaced persons to their ancestral homes and ensure that perpetrators of violence are brought to justice.
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