Farmers fear for their lives and stay away from their lands because of threats by insurgents – scavengers are also stealing their harvests and herders are allowing their animals to eat their crops.
Farmers in Borno State – who need to go to their lands to harvest their crops – are pleading with the government to provide more security because of an increase in abductions and deadly attacks by insurgents in various districts of the state.
One farmer said insurgents had warned them to stay away from their lands or they would be murdered or abducted.
The farmers were hit by a series of attacks during the rainy season when they were trying to cultivate their crops.
Now that it is harvesting time, the insurgents are back. But it’s not just the attacks and abductions that are of concern, starving scavengers are stealing harvested crops as well.
During the planting season, more than 14 farmers were killed in communities around Molai, close to Maiduguri, and about 42 women farmers in Shuwari village in the Mafa Local Government Area were abducted and released only after ransoms were paid.
Farmers in Dalori town in the Konduga Local Government Area also experienced a number of attacks, which ended in the murder of some of the villagers while they were tending to their lands.
The number of attacks slowed down for a period but now that it’s harvesting season more farmers are returning to their lands in or close to the forests and the insurgents are back. Farmers fear for their lives and are pleading with the government to provide more security so that they can collect their harvests in safety.
They say they need more protection so that produce can be collected and taken to the markets. Right now, they say, they cannot produce a sustainable supply which could lead to food insecurity in a number of districts.
Lawan Bukar Kolo, a farmer from the Konduga district, told RNI that he had begun harvesting groundnuts and beans, despite the fear of insurgent attacks and stealing.
“Farmers are spending less time in the forest or on their lands because of insecurity. We need more security operatives present so that we can harvest our produce in peace.”
Amina Gale, a woman farmer from the Mafa Local Government Area, said she and other farmers had started harvesting their crops but insurgents had stopped them and had warned them to keep away from their lands, threatening them with death and abductions if they did not comply.
“Now, many farmers are refusing to go to their lands because they fear being murdered or abducted. We are living in fear. We need more protection. We know that if the insurgents find us on our lands they will go ahead with their threats.”
Amina said about two weeks ago at least six farmers were abducted by insurgents while harvesting and working on their lands despite the presence of agro-rangers, civilian joint task force (CJTF) members and other security operatives.
“That’s why we need more protection. Even though there are security operatives here, the insurgents still threaten us. There are not enough security people around and they cannot protect all the farmers all the time.”
A CJTF member, who asked to remain anonymous, said that apart from insurgent attacks, there were people scavenging for food and they were stealing the harvested crops, such as beans, millet, maize, watermelons, groundnuts and Bambara nuts that rightfully belonged to the farmers.
He said that herdsmen were also destroying farm produce by allowing their animals to graze on the farmlands. Some farmers had decided to stay on their lands at night, despite their fear, just so that they can stop the herdsmen and their animals from eating all their produce.
He said even though there were soldiers, CJTF members and agro-rangers who escorted the farmers and conducted constant patrols around the forest, there were not enough security operatives to protect all the farmers.
Farmers from the Jere and Mafa local government areas were particularly at risk of attacks, abductions and theft.
“More protection is urgently needed,” he said.
SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO
