The Yobe State government has engaged the services of the Nigerian Army and vigilantes to protect farmers and their crops in the state.
Daily Trust gathered that farmers in Gujba, Damaturu, Karasuwa, and Gashua LGAs are now spending 24 hours on their farms to watch over their crops during this harvest season.
Addressing newsmen after the state security meeting presided over by the deputy governor, Special Adviser to the governor on Security Matters, Brigadier General Abdulsalam Dahiru (Rtd) said the state government has taken measures to tackle the problem.
He said the state government has decided to engage the Nigerian Army and vigilantes to protect the crops from the thieves, because some of the places in Gujba LG are insurgency-infected areas, saying no police or civil defence (agro-rangers) can venture into those areas.
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Dahiru said over 70 motorcycles managed by army personnel, hunters groups and vigilantes groups as well as highbred elements were on patrol in the entire affected areas to protect the crops and farmers from the thieves and killers.
He said the efforts have been going on for the past three months, adding that the operation will continue until January 2025 when all the harvested crops would be evacuated by the farmers.