Igbo Group Faults ACF’s Claim That Northerners can’t Get Land in South-East

By Myke Agunwa

The Imeobi Igbo Forum (IIF), a Pan-Igbo socio-cultural organization, has countered the claims by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) suggesting that northerners are not allowed to acquire land for residential or business purposes in the South-East.

Reacting to a statement allegedly made by the ACF Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Alhaji Dalhatu, that northerners are not allowed to own even a square foot of land in the South, the IIF described the claim as “bogus and fallacious.”

Imeobi emphasized that Igbos are not opposed to legitimate land ownership by any Nigerian but are instead wary of criminal elements such as killers, rapists, and kidnappers masquerading as herders, who violently attack local farmers in a bid to forcefully and illegally seize their land.

They challenged the ACF to provide a single example of a Fulani or any northerner who has shown a genuine intent to acquire land in the Southeast and was denied.

In a press statement issued Monday, the National Chairman of IIF, Chief (Dr.) Chukwukpezie Ikegulu, noted that the assertion was not only misleading but also potentially inciting.

“Besides,” Ikegulu explained, “Ndigbo do not sell land in the conventional sense. Land usage is typically granted on a freehold or lease basis, with financial considerations.

“In most parts of the South-East, land ownership is individual or family-based, not vested in traditional rulers like Emirs and chiefs as in some northern communities. Land is allocated through competitive bidding.

“The truth is that competition is stiff,” he said

According to him, “Those unfamiliar with competitive market principles may find it difficult to cope. Ndigbo, like other indigenous groups, allocate land to the highest bidder.”

Ikegulu pointed out the irony in the ACF’s position, stating: “It is unfair to single out the Igbo—arguably the most widely dispersed and enterprising group in Nigeria, known for acquiring and developing land across the country—as being discriminatory. We live by the principle: ‘na ebe onye bi ka ọ na-awachi’ (where one lives is where one protects).”

He emphasized that the only resistance Igbos have shown is toward criminal elements who camp in forests and farmlands, rather than living openly in urban areas, as Igbos themselves do when they relocate to other parts of Nigeria.

Ikegulu condemned Dalhatu’s alleged comments, warning that such statements risk inciting ethnic tensions.

“It’s unfortunate that someone as highly placed as Dalhatu would make such a divisive and misleading claim. This kind of rhetoric can breed disaffection and spark inter-ethnic crises,” he warned.

He urged all Nigerians to avoid inflammatory comments, especially at a time when the country is grappling with insecurity, hunger, and economic hardship.