Farmers in Paikoro, Shiroro, Munya, Rafi and Mashegu local government areas of Niger State have expressed fear that with the renewed attacks by bandits, they are losing hope of farming this year, warning that hunger was looming in the state and across the country.
They called on the federal and state governments to establish a permanent security base in their area to enable them to return to farm this rainy season.
While Shiroro, Paikoro and Munya local government areas are among the major yam producers in the state, with an international yam market at Paiko, the headquarters of Paikoro, beans and guinea corn are produced in commercial quantities in other local governments like Rafi, Mashegu and Mariga.
Findings by Daily Trust on Sunday revealed that there is no end in sight to the lingering food insecurity and high cost of foodstuff in the state as large hectares of farmlands have been abandoned due to attacks by bandits.
The councilor representing Adunu ward in Paikoro Local Government, Abraham Sabo, told our correspondent that, “The only people remaining in communities and villages around Adunu are few. Majority have fled their homes. So, there is no hope that farming will be possible this year, except with intervention.
“We need assistance from federal and state governments and security agencies. We want security operatives stationed in our communities because we have been living on the mercy of God. When bandits come, anyone that is able to run is lucky. But I want to tell you that nobody would be able to farm along this area this rainy season.”
Sabo said the N200 million earlier demanded as ransom to secure the release of over 50 farmers abducted in communities in the area in March had been reduced to N100m. “Community members contributed N6m, which we took to the abductors, but they only released 11 children. So we are still making contributions to secure the release of the remaining people,” he said
In Shiroro Local Government Area, the president of Lakpma Youth Assembly, Jibril Tafeeda Allawa, said farmers were denied access to their farms.
He said, “The condition in Lakpma axis, which is made of eight political wards, with hundreds of communities, has not changed. The bandits are seen from time to time carrying out attacks. It is our prayer that when the new government comes on board, there will be succour.”
Farmers in Munya, Rafi and Mashegu local government areas said they were also worried about attacks by bandits, especially as the rainy season has begun.
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