Troops Deployed to Protect North-West, North-Central Farms Amid Food Crisis

Associations Praise Tinubu’s Initiative, Expect Boost in Harvest and Reduced Food Insecurity

Deployment Ensures Farmers’ Access to Lands and Supports a Smooth Planting Season, Says DHQ

In a bid to tackle the worsening food crisis in Nigeria, the Defence Headquarters has deployed troops across farms in the northern regions, particularly in the North-West and North-Central states. The military’s high command confirmed that the deployment aims to protect farmers from the relentless attacks of bandits, terrorists, and other criminal elements that have plagued these regions.

Farmers have long been a primary target for these criminals, who have extorted, kidnapped, and even killed them, severely impacting agricultural productivity. According to a report by NaijaneXusnews, over 332 farmers were killed in the first quarter of this year alone—a significant rise from the 128 farmers killed during the same period in 2023. Moreover, a report from SBM Intelligence revealed that farmers in the North paid an estimated N139 million as levies to bandits between 2020 and 2023.

This military intervention comes as Nigeria faces its highest food inflation rate on record, which reached 40.87% in June, according to the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics. The situation has led to growing public demands for immediate government action to address the increasing hunger and food shortages across the country.

On Monday, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun announced that the police had also begun farm patrols to restore farmers’ confidence in returning to their lands. “In the North-East, we have started farm patrol to give confidence back to farmers to return to the farm. Mr. President is very concerned about it, and we are doing our best,” Egbetokun said, while acknowledging the complex and diverse security challenges facing Nigeria.

In a related development, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, confirmed in an interview on Wednesday that troops had been deployed since the onset of the rainy season to ensure farmers enjoy a hitch-free planting season leading to a bumper harvest. However, he did not disclose the exact number of troops assigned to these operations.

“With the commencement of the rainy season, troops are currently deployed in several northern states, particularly in the North-West and North-Central, to provide protection for farmers. The deployment has enabled many farmers to access their farms for a smooth planting season towards a bumper harvest,” Buba stated.

The Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Kabir Ibrahim, also confirmed an increased security presence on farms across the country. He commended the government for the effort and called for further actions to completely eliminate insecurity, thereby ensuring food sufficiency.

“There is definitely some remarkable security improvement around our farms across the food baskets in the North-Central and North-West. We appreciate the effort and unreservedly commend the administrations at all levels for that. Like Oliver Twist, we implore the government to completely stem insecurity in order to attain food security seamlessly,” Ibrahim said. He expressed optimism that, with the improved security situation, farmers should have a bumper harvest, noting that only flooding and drought could impede that outcome.

Despite these efforts, our correspondent learned that troops have not been deployed to certain states in the North-West and North-Central regions, even after the Defence Headquarters directive. For instance, the Benue State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Matthew Abo, revealed that no military personnel had been deployed to the state in recent weeks to protect farmers. He mentioned that although Governor Hyacinth Alia had positive discussions with service chiefs during the height of insecurity in the state, there has been no recent deployment of security operatives.

“Well, the governor went to Abuja, and we have not discussed whether there has been any deployment of military personnel to the state to protect farmers. There has been no deployment of military personnel to the state in the past two weeks,” Abo stated.

Similarly, an official of the Kano State Government, who spoke to The PUNCH on the condition of anonymity, said Kano is not among the states in the North-West dealing with banditry due to its lack of dense forests, which are often used as hideouts by criminals.

“Kano State is not among the states experiencing banditry because we don’t have thick forests. If you have been following reports on the issue of banditry, Kano State is not among the states in the zone battling with banditry,” the official explained.

Meanwhile, Sam Yua, the Organising Secretary of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria in Benue State, expressed concern over the impact of insecurity on farmers. He reported that several farmers have abandoned their rural lands due to persistent attacks by armed herders and have relocated to urban areas. Yua lamented that these herders, who once returned to their home states during the rainy season, now occupy the communities they’ve displaced, further worsening the food crisis.

“For instance, where I hired 45 hectares of land and cultivated rice, the villagers have fled, and herders occupying the community feed their cattle with our crops,” Yua stated.

Additionally, the Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria in Kano State, Alhaji Abdurrashid Magaji, noted that only two areas in the state—Sumaila and Garko Local Government Areas—are affected by insecurity. He urged state governments to procure fertilizers and other inputs at subsidized rates to boost irrigation farming in their respective states.

In Katsina State, the Director of Media to Governor Dikko Umar Radda, Maiwada Danmallam, acknowledged the deployment of soldiers to Kankara Local Government Area to curb terrorist activities. However, he was unaware of any specific deployment of troops to protect farms and farmers in the state or any other states in the North-Central or North-West regions.

“I’m not aware soldiers were deployed to protect farms and farmers in Katsina State or any state in North-Central or North-West. However, I’m aware soldiers were deployed in Mabai, Kankara LGA, a corridor which has recently become a gateway for bandits to launch attacks on vulnerable communities,” Danmallam said.

As Nigeria grapples with these multifaceted security challenges, the recent troop deployments are seen as a critical step in ensuring food security, but the full impact will depend on the broader eradication of insecurity across the affected regions.