The African Sociocultural Harmony and Enlightenment (ASHE) Foundation has rejected the long-standing categorisation of the Middle Belt as part of Arewa, warning that such continued identification amounts to an endorsement of what it described as historic and ongoing political marginalisation, cultural erasure and violence against indigenous Middle Belt communities.
ASHE Foundation President, Prince Justice Faloye, made the position known in a strongly worded press statement reacting to the recent celebration of the 25th anniversary of Arewa in Kaduna. He argued that the concept of Arewa represents the political and cultural inheritance of the old Sokoto and Bornu Islamic empires, whose expansionist agenda historically sought the domination of both the South and the Middle Belt. According to him, this civilisational clash explains the notable absence of the South and Middle Belt Leadership Forum (SMBLF), chaired by Afenifere leader HRH Oba Oladipo Olaitan, from the event.
Faloye said the colonial decision to place Middle Belt indigenous populations under the Northern Protectorate, despite their cultural and genetic ties to the South, laid the foundation for decades of political exclusion. He added that this misclassification enabled what he described as systematic ethnic cleansing, displacement and targeted attacks by militants and other armed groups, which have drawn global condemnation and warnings of possible foreign intervention to halt what some international observers now describe as a looming genocide.
He recalled that notable southern leaders like Chief Obafemi Awolowo consistently favoured political cooperation with the South and Middle Belt rather than with the North, insisting that any alliance with the North would create a “master-servant” dynamic. Faloye noted that Awolowo even partnered with the United Middlebelt Peoples Congress in the late 1950s, recognising the deep civilisational ties between both regions. He added that these relationships eventually matured into the formation of SMBLF during the 2014 National Conference, which pressed for wide-ranging reforms aimed at addressing long-standing structural imbalances.
According to him, the unresolved North–South boundary—drawn far below the River Niger and overlooking the civilisational divide between indigenous African populations and Afro-Arabic groups—continues to fuel political tension. He accused Arewa leaders of exploiting this colonial error to promote what he called political exclusion and silent approval of violent attacks across the Middle Belt.
Faloye further criticised a faction he described as a “renegade Afenifere group” for attending the anniversary in Kaduna, insisting that they do not represent the legacy of Awolowo or the values of true Afenifere leadership. He likened their participation to past instances where northern-aligned political groups attempted to undermine Yoruba civilizational leadership, citing the case of the Ladoke Akintola-led NNDP as historical precedent.
He argued that the current North–South political alliance, as represented by Arewa’s outreach efforts, prioritises ethnic dominance and economic exploitation rather than social democracy or inclusive governance. Faloye also accused the renegade faction of supporting anti-poor economic policies and backing political victimisation of the Igbo community in Lagos.
He stressed that anyone genuinely committed to stopping the escalating violence in the Middle Belt cannot simultaneously recognise Arewa, which he believes remains the political instrument of an Afro-Arabic civilisational agenda. Instead, he called for renewed pressure for restructuring, including the establishment of state police, so that indigenous groups can defend their communities and exercise democratic control within their preferred states or regions.
Faloye concluded that the real path to peace and justice in the Middle Belt lies not in symbolic participation in Arewa celebrations but in securing genuine political reforms that allow indigenous African communities to protect their identity, land and autonomy.
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