IPOB opposes Governor Mbah’s proposal to create a cattle ranch in Enugu

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has strongly urged Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, to immediately halt his proposed plans to establish a cattle ranch at Nimbo in the Uzowani community within the Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. This call was made evident through a statement issued by IPOB’s media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, on Monday.

This development comes in the wake of a recent protest by residents of the community against the governor’s intentions to set up a ranch for Fulani herdsmen. The protest, which occurred last week, saw the widows of victims killed by herdsmen in 2016 taking to the streets to express their vehement opposition to the government’s plan, labeling it as an act of “wickedness.”

The grieving women, bearing pictures of the caskets used during the mass burial of their husbands, marched through the streets chanting slogans such as “Nimbo doesn’t want Ruga, Nimbo doesn’t want cattle, Nimbo doesn’t want Ranch.”

In response to these events, IPOB issued a stern warning, stating that it is closely monitoring Governor Peter Mbah and his associates. They emphasized their firm stance against the establishment of any form of camp for jihadist Fulanis under the guise of a cattle ranch anywhere in Enugu State.

IPOB stressed that if Governor Mbah intends to establish a cattle ranch in Enugu State, it must be under the management of an Igbo businessman. They reiterated that only Ndigbo (Igbo people) have the right to own and operate cattle ranches within Igbo land, adamantly opposing the involvement of Fulani herdsmen in such endeavors.

Furthermore, IPOB called upon the South East Governors to refrain from entertaining any notions of establishing cattle ranches in the region. They asserted that IPOB and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) operatives would not permit the establishment of Fulani camps disguised as cattle ranches in any state within the Biafra territory.