reserves, says region’s violence not caused by climate change
The Middle Belt Concern (MBC), a coalition of more than 80 citizen groups, says the violence in the region is not driven by climate change or resource competition.
The group made its position known on Friday at a media roundtable in Lagos, where it declared a state of emergency over what it described as escalating violence and mass displacement across the region.
MBC said descriptions of the violence as “farmer-herder clashes”, “communal clashes” or “climate-induced resource conflict” were misleading and served to obscure the scale and nature of the attacks.
The group also rejected the use of ranching reserves as a solution to the crisis, describing the proposal as a “betrayal” of displaced communities.
What is happening in the Middle Belt is not a clash. It is not a misunderstanding between neighbours,” the group said.
“It is organised, repeated, and escalating violence that has overrun entire villages, driven millions from their homes, and subjected our women and children to atrocities no community should have to bear twice.”
The coalition said communities in Benue, southern Kaduna, Kogi, Kwara and Plateau states had endured years of killings, displacement and destruction of livelihoods.
It accused governments at all levels of failing in their constitutional responsibility to protect lives and provide lasting solutions to the crisis.
The group argued that the priority should be the safe return of displaced persons to their ancestral homes, rather than policies that could result in the allocation of land to ranching while affected communities remain displaced.
The group called for a credible national count of displaced persons, the securing of ancestral communities, trauma care for survivors and a roadmap for restorative justice.
“Governments at every level have failed in their first constitutional duty — to protect life,” the group said.
Platitudes are not policy. Sympathy is not security.”
The group also criticised the federal government’s adoption of a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in the 2023 election, describing it as a departure from Nigeria’s pluralistic character.
MBC urged the government to take immediate and verifiable steps to end the violence, restore displaced communities and hold perpetrators accountable.
“History is watching, and history does not forgive administrations that chose comfort over courage in the face of evil,” the group said.