FCT farmers battle farm produce theft amid harvest

The challenge of food insecurity is felt not only in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) but across the nooks and crannies of the country, and it could get worse as criminal elements (especially in many rural communities of the territory) engage in large scale theft of farm produce for days, but sometimes hours, before farm owners go to harvest their crops.

The World Bank has warned of food insecurity, especially in the North-west and North-east regions of the country, blaming armed conflicts and the drop in standard of living.

The spate of reported cases of farm produce theft in some parts of the FCT, especially in rural communities, became worse this year, and some observers have attributed it to hunger in the land, as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government.

Weekend Trust recalls how two men were reportedly arrested by vigilantes for allegedly harvesting large quantities of maize from a farm at Yimi-Machadna community in Zuba chiefdom, Gwagwalada Area Council on August 11, 2024.

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Also, on October 3, 2024, another suspect was said to have been trapped inside a farm while harvesting yam tubers at Bari Bari village, Gurdi ward of Abaji Area Council.

A resident of the village, Gwatana Joshua, said the suspect remained inside the farm until the next day when the owner met him, and then handed him over to the vigilante.

Another suspect also reportedly escaped after invading a farm belonging to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Abaji Area Council, after he was spotted harvesting farm produce. The suspect fled and abandoned the large quantity of produce he had allegedly harvested.

The suspect was said to have fled when he heard the sound of the farm owners’ motorcycle coming into the farm.

Rural farmers in the FCT were faced with the challenge of insecurity over a year ago, with a large number of them unable to cultivate their farms for fear of either being abducted or killed by kidnappers.

The situation had forced some of the farmers to cultivate only the farms near their homes or mobilise themselves in groups before they could go to the farm.

However, improvement in security in some parts of the FCT, especially rural communities, with the setting up of vigilante groups, had paved way for the locals to continue with their farming activities.

Weekend Trust gathered that the recent reported cases of farm produce theft and criminal activities on privately owned farms have become source of concern to residents of the FCT.

It was also learnt that these hoodlums do not spare even the small farms cultivated at the back of people’s houses, especially maize, which they invade at night to harvest.

A cross section of rural farmers who spoke with Weekend Trust expressed concerns over the spate of theft on their farms.

They said these hoodlums mostly invade their farms at night or in the early hours of the morning.

Mr Solomon Ayuba, a farmer in Kilankwa community in Kwali Area Council of the FCT, told our reporter how some hoodlums invaded his maize farm and harvested  most of the produce.

He said the incident happened two weeks ago, after he and his children had gone back home from the farm. The thieves went there at night and harvested nearly all the produce, he said.

Malam Garba Danjuma, a farmer in Pai community in Kwali Area Council, also narrated how his maize farm was invaded a few weeks ago and the produce was harvested.

He said since he started cultivating maize over six years ago, he has always realised over 200 to 260 bags of maize, adding that he cultivated five hectares of maize farm this year, only for hoodlums to steal most of it.

“Over the years, I make bumper harvest despite the fact that sometimes cattle herders enter the farm with their cows to eat the maize, but the worst experience I’ve had is this year, when thieves came to the farm overnight and harvested a large quantity of the maize and took it to the market to sell,” he said.

Danjuma recalled how two suspects were apprehended by vigilantes with two bags of fresh maize at Madalla market in Suleja, where they took the stolen produce to sell.

He said because of the rampant cases of maize theft by hoodlums in rural communities, some farmers stay in the farm till late in the evening before they return home.

“Some farmers had to put charms on their farms to scare thieves away,” he said.

Another farmer, Lukman Abdullahi, a native of Kawu community in Bwari Area Council, also expressed concern over the theft of his farm produce.

He said bandits cross over from neighbouring Kaduna State to occupy peoples’ farms.

Mr Jethro Ishaya, a retired civil servant who is a native of Kayarda community in Gwagwalada Area Council, lamented how he invested a fraction of his gratuity in farming in his village, but suffered loss as criminals invaded his farm and harvested a large potion of his maize.

He said the suspected hoodlums went to the farm with a pickup van to load the maize after they harvested them.

“I don’t think what the criminal did to me by harvesting a large portion of my maize at midnight can be attributed to hunger. This is a clear case of stealing,” he said.

Ishaya said since he retired from the civil service over eight years ago, he has been into farming, especially maize, adding that he pays his children’s school fees by selling part of the maize.

“But this year, the story is different as thieves harvested virtually 70 per cent of my maize. I had to mobilise my children to go and harvest the leftovers,” he added.

He noted that it has not been easy for him and his family since the incident, especially with the current economic crisis bedevilling the country.

Zakariya Moses, also a retired civil servant and community leader in Gatsana community of Kuje Area Council, told our reporter that cases of farm produce theft, especially maize has become rampant.

He said many of such thefts have been reported to the vigilante group, adding that while some criminals were arrested, the theft has continued because the criminals operate mostly at night.

The chairman of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) in the FCT, Alhaji Abdullahi Garba Zuba, who spoke with Weekend Trust, said farmers have lost tonnes of grains this year, especially maize, to thieves.

He said the rising demand of farm produce and attendant attractive prices in markets could be responsible for the rampant cases of maize theft, even as he urged the government to give more priority to agriculture through supporting local farmers with inputs.

“The government appears not to be giving much priority to agriculture. Yes, I said this because since the government withdrew fuel subsidy, the only alternative they have been providing is palliatives which to me is not the solution. The government should provide inputs such as tractors, fertilizers, sprayers, agro-chemicals and soft loan to the real farmers in order to encourage them to boost food production,” he said.

Alhaji Muhammadu Dangana, the Sarkin Noma of Abaji Area Council of the FCT, said farmers faced a lot of challenges in this year’s farming season.

“I know how many reports I have received about theft of maize by some criminal elements, especially in villages under Abaji Area Council,” he said.

He, however, said since security has improved in some rural communities, government should intensify efforts in providing inputs to the local farmers in order to boost food production.

“This year is the worst in the cases of theft of farm produce by criminal elements. Some people attribute it to hunger, but to me, it is not hunger. It is outright stealing because you can’t go to someone’s farm at midnight with sacks and harvest maize in large quantity and say it is hunger,” he said.