An Arise TV presenter and former presidential aide, Ruben Abati has sparked mixed reactions after claiming Igbos in Nigeria’s southeast region don’t sell land to outsiders.

Abati, a co-host of Arise Television’s ‘The Morning Show’ on Thursday shared the story of how Theophilus Benson, minister of information in the first post-independence government, narrated how Igbos do not sell lands to non-indigenes.

“Chief TOS Benson, former minister of information, now late, on one occasion at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs — and I’m not making this up — he said it publicly, if anybody can contradict me let them do so… he said something about Igbo people,” Abati began.

He said he had an Igbo wife, and had an Igbo daughter, that he wanted to buy land in Igbo land for his daughter, for his wife, and he said ‘I’m getting old, let me build in this place for my wife’.

“He said that his in-laws told him that they don’t sell land to outsiders. That is the irony of Nigeria, about the politics of federation of unity.

“The same Igbos who are so industrious that they are all over and do well in other parts of Nigeria, you go as a non-Igbo man to go and buy umunna (kindred) land, you will be told that you don’t belong even as an in-law.”

Abati’s comment elicited mixed reactions on social media. While some supported his perspective, others criticised him for x-raying a subject as sensitive as ethnicity.

@Nedumcity_ on X said; “Today during Arise TV morning show, we all saw how Ruben Abati showcased his Igbophobia. He left the topic of discussion to digress to Igbos not selling land to non Igbo people. Just like a reminder that Ruben Abati was one of the people that fueled the Lagos Igbo hate and the Chinedu propaganda. He is not just a tribalist but a hater of Ndigbo.”

@emmaikumeh wrote; “To those who know me personally or have been following my digital footprint on issues, I rarely comment about tribe this, tribe that. I don’t like like. But in this case, Reuben Abati really goofed. One would ordinarily expect someone or his status and corresponding exposure…”

@MBADIWE_ reacted; “Igbo man likes money too much but will refuse to sell his land when you bring a good price, I am not understanding again abi is there another Igbo? Abati and his brother no like money but when you flash money they will sell their papa graveyard.”

@OgaHans wrote; “Just to reiterate. It’s not in the Igbo culture to sell lands. Land is not a “store of value” as it were.. Land is more of a Heritage. This is not so for other ethnicities.”

@Dorisfabrics said; “My uncle do say it , when I asked him to sell some of my father’s land , he refused, that we don’t sell lands 😒..e still dey vex me shha.”

‘Nobody should tell me nonsense’ – Abati replies critics

Unmoved by the backlash, Abati doubled down.

“I have no further comments on that subject,” he said on Friday after Ojy Okpe, a colleague, prompted him to clarify his previous remarks.

“I was very clear yesterday, I was very specific, I made my point, I provided a context in which I was speaking. If people have selective hearing, that is their problem.”