As Nigeria battles the hurricane of deadly attacks perpetrated by criminal gangs famously called bandits, farmers in agrarian communities in the southwest region have added their voices to the mix, begging authorities to defend them against the attackers.
Farmers no longer have access to their farms for fear of being attacked or kidnapped, the national president of the Cocoa and Plantain Farmers Association of Nigeria (CPFAN), Ayodele Ojo, said in a message to President Bola Tinubu on Sunday.
The terrorists usually arrive at the villages on motorcycles to raid, loot and destroy. Any person they meet during the operation is either kidnapped or killed. Sometimes, they block access to farmlands and owners are only allowed access upon the payment of a levy which can range between N50,000 (US$31.40) to N500,000 (US$314.01) or more.
“These people kidnap farmers for ransom and if a farmer fails to pay, he can be killed,” Ojo said, explaining the gravity of the situation. Without help from the government and security agencies, the farmers watch as their farms, their means of livelihood, are being forcefully taken from them.
“We need security agencies to come to our aid. Our means of livelihood are now being threatened, and our lives are in danger,” Ojo pleaded, “We are asking the president to attend to this issue urgently.”
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
