Kidnapping forcing us out of our farms – Kaduna farmers

Farmers in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State yesterday said kidnapping was forcing them out of their farms.

Some of them said they could not access their farms to harvest their produce.

They alleged that armed Fulani were in control of the route to their farms which is about three kilometres to Rigasa Railway Station.

A farmer who simply identified himself as Malam Sabo said each time they went to their farms, they were either kidnapped for ransom or chased back home.

He listed villages where the kidnappers operated as Gurguzu, Kwate, Maguzawa Mai Giginya, Kwaten dan Masani and Faka.

Sabo urged security agencies to visit those areas to free the communities from the bondage of the kidnappers.

Another farmer in Rigasa, Aliyu Ibrahim, said: “I have not been to my farm in weeks because I’m very scared.We need security agencies to come to our aid, our means of livelihood is threatened and our lives are in danger in farming communities in Rigasa and its environs.”

The spokesman of the state police command, Yakubu Sabo Abubakar, debunked the claims by the farmers, saying “This is not true because farmers still go to farm in all the villages you have mentioned. Cases of kidnapping in Rigasa area have been controlled drastically due to constant proactive actions of the police in the area.

“The command has taken serious security measures to curb all forms of crime and criminality in the Kaduna. Of recent, we have security challenges more in Birnin Gwari axis even though we have deployed adequate security strategies to combat banditry in the area.”