The Imeobi Igbo Forum (IIF), a prominent pan-Igbo socio-cultural organization, has strongly rejected assertions by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) that northerners are unable to acquire land in Southern Nigeria, particularly in the Southeast. The claim, reportedly made by the ACF Board of Trustees Chairman, Alhaji Dalhatu, suggested that northerners cannot expect to own even a square foot of land in the South, a statement the IIF described as “bogus and fallacious.”
In a press statement issued to journalists in Onitsha, IIF National Chairman Chief (Dr.) Chukwukpezie Ikegulu emphasized that the claim was misleading and potentially inflammatory. He clarified that Igbos do not oppose legitimate land ownership by any Nigerian but are cautious of criminal elements disguised as herders who attack local farmers to seize land illegally.
Ikegulu explained that land ownership in the Southeast is typically individual or family-based, granted on a freehold or lease basis through competitive bidding, unlike in some northern communities where traditional rulers hold land rights. He challenged the ACF to provide evidence of any northerner who genuinely sought to acquire land in the Southeast and was denied, noting that competition is stiff and land is allocated to the highest bidder.
Highlighting the irony of the ACF’s position, Ikegulu pointed out that the Igbo are among Nigeria’s most enterprising groups, known for acquiring and developing land nationwide. He stressed the Igbo principle of protecting the place where one lives and said resistance is only directed at criminal elements occupying forests and farmlands, not at lawful residents.
The IIF leader condemned Dalhatu’s comments as divisive and warned that such rhetoric risks inciting ethnic tensions at a time when Nigeria faces insecurity and economic challenges. He called on all Nigerians to avoid inflammatory statements and urged unity and peace.
This response comes amid ongoing debates about land ownership rights and ethnic relations in Nigeria, with the ACF previously expressing concerns about what it sees as unequal land ownership rights disadvantaging northerners in the South. The IIF’s rebuttal underscores the complexities of land tenure and ethnic dynamics in the country.
