As insecurity persists: Tough times for farmers, businesses
‘We’ve to pay to harvest our produce’ Traders close shops, avoid trips over kidnapping
By Vincent A. Yusuf (Abuja), Shehu Umar (Gusau), Mahmoud Idris (Katsina), Ibrahim Musa Giginyu (Kano) & Maryam Ahmadu-Suka (Kaduna)
Activities of bandits have forced farmers in some states to abandon harvest and run for their lives, Daily Trust on Sunday reports.
Apart from farmers, business people have also been affected as kidnappers and bandits continually attack travellers along major highways in the country.
Victims of such attacks in the North, who spoke with our correspondents, said bandits, who are usually heavily armed, forced them to abandon crops that were ready for harvest.
Specifically, farmers are under serious attacks in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Plateau and Nasarawa states. As a result of this situation, many people are scared of going to their farms.
It was gathered that in some communities, youths are mobilising to harvest their crops while others keep watching.
It is believed that the situation is threatening the availability of food and causing prices to hit the roof for the first time in decades.
The current situation is reminiscent to what happened in 2015 when armed bandits tagged “Noma Haram”, meaning farming is sacrilegious, wrote to farmers in the Dansadau district of Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State, warning them to stay away from farms or face dire consequences.
Dozens of farmers have been killed and hundreds of hectares remain uncultivated due to the activities of bandits that time.
This time around, while some farmers lost their lives at the beginning of the raining season, others who managed to plant the crops up till the time of harvest are now confronted with new “rule” as they have to pay a certain amount to bandits as levy before they would be allowed to harvest the produce.
Narrating his ordeal, a farmer in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Sani Hamisu, said his father was killed in March 2020 when he went to clear a piece of land ahead of this year’s farming season.
“I went to the farm with him, and when it was noon I decided to go back home and get some food. About an hour after I left, armed bandits struck and killed him.
“They are now collecting levies from farmers before they would be allowed to harvest their crops. This is terrible and can affect food security in the entire northern region or even the country as a whole. Crops are wasting away on farms,” he said.
According to locals in Katsina State, only crops in farms near towns and some villages can be harvested while those in hinterlands are not accessible.
Ahmed Rilwanu, a resident of Yankara village, said that since October, there had been a series of attacks in the area; hence over 10 villages and hamlets have been deserted out of fear of the unknown.
“On November 9, about 9.15 pm, bandits attacked parts of Yankara village and killed three people in sporadic shootings. The deceased are Lawal Galadima, Tasi’u Danda, and Addafi Lawal.
“It was military personnel stationed in the village that chased them out, otherwise only God knows the extent of the damage they would have meted on us.
“On Thursday, November 8, bandits chased away farmers on the outskirts of ’Yankara and burnt their motorcycles, bicycles and harvested soybeans,” Rilwanu said.
Another local, Hussaini Umar from Unguwar Baidu, said many of those who deserted their ancestral homes would hardly come back, even after the restoration of peace.
“We have over 10 villages and hamlets that were deserted recently, namely, Shawu, Kibai, Kuka Shidda, Kanawa, Fitaru, Gidan Najafa, Unuwar Nadajin, Unguwar Goga, Unguwar Baidu, Unguwar Haji and Yan’tuwaru.
He said some of the villagers have moved to Sheme, Funtua, Danja, Bakori, Katsina, Kano and Zaria, where they have relatives or friends to start a new life.
Umar, however, said the presence of the military in Faskari had been frustrating the bandits; hence they resorted to attacking remote villages.
He called on the soldiers to give them cover to harvest their crops to avoid economic and food crises in the area.
“Many of us no longer open our shops because the kidnappers would come and abduct you after robbing you of everything in the shop,” said Malam Sallau of Unguwar Haji. “Your family would have to source for money and pay a ransom before the bandits would release you,” he said.
Another villager said people are now afraid to attend weekly markets. “The bandits target prosperous traders and abduct them during market days, nowhere is safe and the situation is making people poorer,” he said.
Business owners, transporters groan
In Kano State, small and medium scale businesses have been experiencing serious challenges due to the activities of bandits and kidnappers along the AbujaKaduna-Kano road, Jos-KadunaKano, as well as Niger RepublicKatsina-Kano road.
According to a member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) at the Na’ibawa motor park, Malam Isa Sagiru Zazu, the rampant cases of kidnapping along the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road have negatively affected the flow of passengers.
Now, only a few people ply the road, and as such, most members of the NURTW have to reschedule their routes.
“Some of our members have fallen victims of the insecurity on the roads. A recent case was one of us and some passengers who were kidnapped along the Abuja-KadunaKano road.
“We had to sell his house to secure his freedom. As I speak with you now, he no longer drives,’’ Zazu lamented.
Malam Aminu Buba, a textile merchant whose major customers are from Plateau State and Abuja, told Daily Trust on Sunday that many of his customers have reduced the number of days they go to Kano due to the fear of the unknown.
“Kidnapping and related insecurity activities have affected my business. My weekly sales have reduced as my customers no longer go to Kano regularly,” he said.
It was also gathered that businesses at the Dawanau International Grain Market have dwindled due to banditry and other related insecurity issues.
According to Alhaji Bala Maiwake, a businessman at the market, though it is harvesting period, the supply of farm produce to the market has dropped.
“Many people have not cultivated their farmlands for fear of the unknown, and those who cultivated theirs cannot harvest; as such, the supply of commodities to the market has dropped.
“It is also observed that our business partners from other parts of the country and outside have been very sceptical about our transactions. In a nutshell, the market is a shadow of its former self,” Maiwake said.
Kaduna traders, farmers count losses
The Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road and the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari highway have been on the spotlight over cases of attacks by bandits, who abduct and sometimes kill travellers.
Recently, bandits launched four attacks on the same day at different intervals, killing and abducting passengers. Nine French students from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria were among them. The students have, however, regained freedom.
Incessant attacks on this road have forced commuters to find other alternatives. And this is affecting small and medium businesses.
A trader of dried meat (kilishi) at the Kaduna Travellers Mosque, Rigachikun, Salisu Musa, lamented the reduction in his sales due to insecurity. He said even though the security situation is alarming, there is nothing they can do but to come out and hope for the best.
“Because of the situation, people do not ply the road as frequently as they used to, leading to a sharp drop in sales. Another problem we are facing is the various diversions due to road construction. With the extension of the contract, we see harder days ahead,” he said.
He appealed to the federal government to re-open the already existing U-turns which have been blocked to allow their businesses to thrive.
Another trader, Yusuf Yunusa, who sells toys said, “I used to make N30,000 a day when the road was secure and motorable, but today I make between N3,000 and N5,000, and sometimes, nothing.
“Before these attacks started, if you come here on Thursdays and Fridays, there would be no parking space, but look at the place now, empty.”
He called on the government to find a lasting solution to the security situation as well as ensure the speedy completion of the road.
Also, Malam Illiyasu Abubakar, who has been farming in Birnin Gwari for over 30 years, said he had to change the time he visited his farm to avoid being kidnapped.
His farm is located in a place called Pole Wire, along the KadunaBirnin Gwari road.
“We had to change the time to go to our farms. Before, we could go to the farm immediately after our morning prayer, but now, we have to wait until daybreak, if not, you are at the risk of being kidnapped.
Also, we have to leave the farm early, around 3 pm; unlike before when we spent the whole day there. This is because the bandits usually attack in the evening. They rustle your cows, kidnap you, or even kill you. So we are forced to find safer times to visit our farms,” he disclosed.
He urged the government to intensify efforts at solving the problem of insecurity in the country, saying that failure to do that would lead to food insecurity.