July 23, 2025
By Ayinde Adeleke
Dr. Adedapo Adebajo, a UK-based academic and public policy analyst, has voiced strong concerns over the proposed Indigenous Bill introduced by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
Describing the bill as a potentially explosive issue for Nigeria’s fragile republic, Adebajo likened its proponents to “ghosts that haunt the Nigerian state.”
He contends that the bill could serve as a tool for internal colonialism and lead to significant demographic shifts.
According to Adebajo, the bill suggests granting indigeneship rights to individuals residing in a community for a specified period, allowing them to access the same rights and privileges as indigenous inhabitants.
He emphasizes that this proposal overlooks the intricate history and cultural importance of land ownership in Nigeria, where land represents not just an economic resource but also an ancestral heritage, cultural marker, and spiritual foundation.
Adebajo warns that passage of the bill could trigger a constitutional crisis, resulting in demographic changes, economic instability, and societal fragmentation.
He urges the National Assembly to reject the bill, characterizing it as a “cynical and dangerous piece of political theatre” that would bring chaos and instability nationwide.
He stated, “The bill proposes to grant indigeneship to individuals who have resided in a community for a certain period, allowing them to enjoy the same rights and privileges as the indigenous people. “The bill ignores the complex history and cultural significance of land ownership in Nigeria, where land is not just an economic asset but also an ancestral trust, cultural signifier, and spiritual anchor.
“It is not a path to peace; it is a declaration of demographic war. It is an act of state-sanctioned invasion, cloaked in the sanctimonious robes of progressivism. And coming from proponents who hail from the South-East, it is an act of hypocrisy so staggering it borders on the surreal.
“To understand the bill’s catastrophic potential, one must first exhume the ghosts our leaders seem so determined to ignore. Nigeria was not born of consensus. It was a 1914 business merger, a colonial contraption that welded disparate, often rival, peoples together for administrative convenience and economic exploitation.
The British did not create a unified nation; they created a pressure cooker and screwed the lid on tight”.
The Lord of Warri, an Itsekiri activist and historian, has also weighed in on the issue via Twitter (@Lord_Of_Warri).
He argues that the proposed bill is “not a step toward unity but a direct path to chaos and future ethnic wars in Nigeria.”
He calls on all indigenous peoples to rise against the bill, emphasizing the need to protect aboriginal land and political rights.
He wrote, “With due respect, your proposed bill is not a step toward unity but a direct path to chaos and future ethnic wars in Nigeria.
“Your ideas about state policing and geopolitical zoning may have merit, but your call to grant indigene status to “any Nigerian born in a State or who has lived there for over ten years with good conduct” is dangerous and reckless. This proposal would ignite crises far worse than any we have seen.
“Across Nigeria, we already witness tensions where outsiders seek to dominate aboriginal populations: In Lagos, migrants boldly call it “no man’s land,” challenging Yoruba political control and threatening chaos.In the Middle Belt, thousands have been massacred as ethnic militias seize lands from indigenous peoples.In Warri, migrants, despite court rulings recognizing them as tenants, still seek to usurp Itsekiri lands and political power. The same pattern is seen in Akwa Ibom, Ondo, and Edo, where migrants push to overrun indigenous peoples.
“Your bill would legally empower these aggressions, sparking widespread bloodshed. No one can be made “indigenous” to a land simply because they were born or worked there. That is not our history, culture, or law. We are Africans, not Europeans — over 250 ethnic groups with ancestral lands and kingdoms that predate colonial borders. Those boundaries must be respected, not erased.
“Allow large tribes to seize control of minority lands by sheer numbers, electing local government chairmen and even kings over lands their ancestors never owned. Extinguish minority ethnic groups within a century, as they will be politically and culturally overrun. Lead to bloody conflicts as indigenous groups resist this legalized invasion. Shatter Nigeria’s fragile federal balance, turning every state into a battlefield between host communities and legally empowered settlers.
“Over 2,000 dead Itsekiris and countless Middle Beltans are grim reminders of what happens when outsiders try to claim lands that aren’t theirs. Your bill, whether born of “good intentions” or political gain, would multiply these tragedies.
“Instead of this destructive bill, the Nigerian Senate must pass a law protecting aboriginal land and political rights: Recognize aboriginal peoples and their ancestral lands explicitly in the Constitution. Ban migrants from claiming indigene status or contesting elections in lands that are not ancestrally theirs. Protect indigenous governance structures, ensuring that only true indigenes can establish kingdoms, traditional titles, or political dominance in their territories. Create a transparent national land registry documenting aboriginal lands to prevent encroachment.
“This does not divide Nigeria. On the contrary, it ensures that “One Nigeria” respects every ethnic group, prevents cultural extinction, and reduces violent conflicts.” He mentioned.
