Farmers have lost their lives due to attacks by bandits, severely impacting access to farms across Nigeria.
Consequently, numerous farmers have abandoned their farms due to the escalating attacks.
In a recent finding by The PUNCH, Farmers in Benue, Sokoto and other states reveal that they did not only lose crops to the rampaging bandits, but many of their colleagues were also killed by the hoodlums. They added that they had abandoned their farms following the rising attacks by the bandits.
Out of the farmers killed, Benue State recorded the highest casualties, with 130 farmers killed by bandits, as reported by the Association of Nigerian Farmers in the state.
In Sokoto State, 28 farmers have been killed since the year began.
In Sokoto, the association highlighted that its members paid over N3 billion in ransom to bandits who kidnapped them from their farms.
Aondongu Saaku, Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria in Benue State, disclosed that six farmers were recently kidnapped, and the state’s farmers have suffered losses exceeding N1.1 billion due to bandit attacks.
He emphasized the dire situation faced by farmers, where farming has become a perilous endeavour.
Saaku said, “The figure I will give you is for March alone, so you can know the gravity of what farmers in the state are passing through.
“Six farmers were kidnapped in their farms. No fewer than 130 farmers were also killed in Kwande, Ukum, Agatu, and Apa LGAs.”
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Asked to quantify what his members might have lost, the Benue State AFAN chairman replied, “It’s difficult to quantify because how do we quantify those farm crops that were harvested and burnt by the bandits?
“It’s huge. We will be talking about something around N1.1bn, because many farmers lost the whole farm, some over 100 bags of rice, several thousands of tuber of yams and the seeds, cassava chips, corn and a host of others.”
Saaku stated that going to the farm now was between life and death, “because in as much as one doesn’t have another source of income, you have to risk it and go to the farm. If you are caught and killed, that is your fate; and if you go and come back alive, it’s your luck.”
Saaku urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on security, warning of the imminent risk of severe famine if urgent action is not taken to address the prevailing insecurity across the country.
