Onoh to Gov Bago: SouthEast twice bigger than Niger’s largest LGA

President Bola Tinubu’s former campaign spokesman in the south east, Denge Josef Onoh, has denied Governor Umaru Bago of Niger state claim that the entire south east states’ landmass equals to one local government area in his state. Governor Bago’s had in an interview with Television Continental (TVC) claimed that Borgu Local Government Area in […]

President Bola Tinubu’s former campaign spokesman in the south east, Denge Josef Onoh, has denied Governor Umaru Bago of Niger state claim that the entire south east states’ landmass equals to one local government area in his state.

Governor Bago’s had in an interview with Television Continental (TVC) claimed that Borgu Local Government Area in Niger State is larger than the entire South East region of Nigeria.

But Onoh said such a statement misrepresents geographical facts and exaggerates the scale of Borgu LGA relative to the five states in the South East, and provided a clear breakdown of the evidence, including verified land area figures, to substantiate his counter.

Onoh stated that there is no doubt that Borgu LGA of Niger State with a total of 11, 267 km² is the largest LGA in Nigeria, but remains a fraction of larger south east regional totals.

He said the South East has a combined landmass of approximately 29,484 km², with Abia State – 6,320 km²; Anambra State – 4,844 km²; Ebonyi State – 5,530 km²; Enugu State: 7,161 km² and Imo State with 5,530 km²

“So Borgu LGA is only about 38 percent the size of the South East region (11,267 km² vs. 29,484 km²). The South East is roughly 2.6 times larger than Borgu LGA.”

Onoh also countered Governor Bago claim that Niger constitutes 11 percent of Nigeria’s total land area, noting that such claim was inaccurate as well.

He pointed out that Nigeria’s total land area is 923,769 km², and Niger state spans 76,363 km², which is approximately 8.3 percent of the national total and not 11 percent.

“While Niger state is indeed Nigeria’s largest by landmass, the exaggeration in Bago’s figures undermines the broader point about security challenges tied to vast, ungoverned spaces. I believe that Bago’s remarks were made in the context of explaining long-standing security issues in Niger State, attributing them to its expansive forests and reserves such as the Borgu Game Reserve that serve as criminal hideouts.”