In an effort to ensure a hitch-free farming season and tackle food insecurity and inflation, Defence Headquarters has disclosed that it has deployed its troops to farmers across the Northern states, especially the North West, and North Central regions in Nigeria.
Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Edward Buba made this disclosure in a statement issued on Wednesday, 14 August, 2024.
According to Buba, the deployment has enabled several farmers to have access to their farms.
“With the commencement of the rainy season, troops are currently deployed in several of the northern, particularly in the NW and NC states to protect farmers.
“The deployment has enabled several farmers’ access to their farm for a hitch-free planting season towards a bumper harvest,” he said.
Thegazellenews.com recalls that the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun also said the police had commenced patrols on farms to boost farmers’ confidence.
“In the North East, we have started farm patrol to give confidence back to farmers to return to the farm. Mr. President is very, very concerned about it, and we are doing our best.
“But let me also add that the security landscape in Nigeria is complex and diverse”, he said.
To this end, the Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Kabir Ibrahim, recently confirmed that security presence had increased in farms across the country.
The development comes as bandits, terrorists and criminals wreaked havoc on the regions in the last six months.
It has been reported that hundreds of farmers have been killed and others kidnapped in the region in the first quarter of 2024.
SBM Intelligence said farmers in the North paid an estimated sum of N139 million as farm levies to bandits who demanded at least N224 million between 2020 and 2023.
This has contributed to food price hikes in Nigeria.
Food inflation in Nigeria rose to 40.87 percent according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)’ June data.
