NAF–Benue Communities Land Dispute Escalates as Calls for Resolution Intensify
A long-running land dispute between the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Tactical Air Command in Makurdi and neighbouring communities in Benue State has intensified, with residents and military authorities maintaining conflicting positions over ownership and control of the disputed land.
The communities involved include Mbaivur, also referred to as Mbaviohor, in Gwer East Local Government Area and Ugondo in Makurdi South. Community members have accused the Air Force of forcefully taking ancestral land, destroying homes and farmlands, and issuing eviction threats.
The Nigerian Air Force, however, maintains that the land in question was officially allocated to the military in 1977 and alleges that significant portions of the original allocation have been occupied by civilians.
Legislative Intervention
The dispute gained renewed attention in March 2026 after the Benue State House of Assembly considered a motion of urgent public importance concerning alleged military land takeovers and intimidation of ancestral landowners.
Around the same period, women from Ugondo reportedly staged a protest, calling on the state government to intervene in the dispute. Community members alleged that homes and farmlands had been affected by military activities.
The allegations have remained a matter of dispute, with the communities and the Air Force presenting different accounts of events and land ownership.
House of Representatives Hearing
In April 2026, the matter reached the National Assembly when the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions held a public hearing on the dispute.
Reports from the hearing stated that the committee rejected documents presented by NAF representatives on the grounds that they were not properly certified. The committee also directed that further action on the disputed land be suspended while the matter was investigated.
Eviction Allegations
Despite the legislative intervention, residents of Mbaivur/Mbaviohor later raised concerns over an alleged eviction order.
In May 2026, community members reported that armed NAF personnel entered the area and allegedly directed residents to leave their ancestral lands. Residents expressed concern that enforcement of the alleged order could further escalate tensions in the community.
The Air Force’s position remains that it is protecting land officially allocated to the military and addressing what it describes as civilian encroachment.
NAF Position
The Nigerian Air Force has previously warned against encroachment on its land around the Makurdi base.
According to the NAF, about 34 percent of its original 1977 land allocation, covering more than 1,500 hectares, has been lost to alleged civilian encroachment.
Military authorities have argued that civilian development close to the base creates security concerns and could restrict future expansion of the facility.
State Government Seeks Resolution
The Benue State Government has continued efforts to mediate between the military and affected communities.
The state Ministry of Lands, Survey and Solid Minerals, together with relevant legislative committees, has engaged representatives of Mbaivur, Ugondo and the military in efforts to establish the correct boundaries.
One proposal has involved the construction of a permanent 16-kilometre boundary road intended to clearly separate military territory from surrounding community land.
However, the precise physical demarcation of the disputed areas remains a key issue in the ongoing disagreement.
What Happens Next
The dispute now involves several levels of government and affected communities, including the Nigerian Air Force, the Benue State Government, the National Assembly and traditional and community leaders.
The central issues remain the ownership and boundaries of the land, the status of existing community settlements and farms, and the extent of the military’s original allocation.
Further dialogue, proper documentation and physical boundary demarcation are expected to play an important role in preventing further escalation and finding a lasting resolution to the decades-old dispute.
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