MAKURDI — The Universal Reformed Christian Church (NKST) has rejected the Federal Government’s proposed pilot ranching programme in Benue State, insisting that the return and resettlement of displaced communities should be prioritised before any ranching projects are considered.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that the church, in a statement by the General Secretary of its Synod Executive Committee, Rev. Ta Targba, disclosed that 5,987 of its members have been killed and 753 worship centres destroyed in attacks blamed on armed herdsmen in Benue and neighbouring states.
CDA News Nigeria reports that the church said it was not opposed to peaceful livestock farming or efforts by the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to the recurring conflict between farmers and herders. However, it argued that any intervention must begin with the return of communities displaced by the conflict to their ancestral lands.
“The church wants a comprehensive implementation of all conflict resolution initiatives, especially the security of the lives and property of the people, and the return of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their ancestral homes in the affected areas,” the statement read.
The church called on the Federal Government to address the root causes of the crisis, including the proliferation of weapons and attacks on farmers, before introducing ranching programmes. It also noted that a 2022 meeting between the church and relevant stakeholders had already made recommendations that were yet to be implemented.
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