Farmers belonging to the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria in Kaduna State have expressed worries about the security issues in the state.
They mentioned that they are unable to reach their farms anymore due to the worsening insecurity in the state.
In an interview with The PUNCH on Wednesday, the Chairman of the Kaduna Chapter of the association, Alhaji Mohammed Numbu, stated that the security situation had led their members to stay home out of fear of bandit attacks.
He also revealed that one of their members was recently abducted by bandits, and his whereabouts are still unknown.
He commented, “Unfortunately, the security challenges in the state are becoming more alarming day by day. We had hoped that the insecurity would decrease, but it has resurged with full force.
“It has caused fear among farmers, preventing them from going to their farms.
“Most of our approximately 72,000 members are unable to farm at the moment.
“Some of us cannot sleep peacefully because these bandits are active.
“The bandits now randomly abduct people from villages. No one knows who will be targeted after an attack on a specific village.
“One of our members was kidnapped around 1pm yesterday in Kaura, and we haven't received any updates about him.”
As a result, the RIFAN leader appealed to President Bola Tinubu to do everything possible to address the insecurity, not only in the state but also nationwide.
He mentioned that the state governors alone are unable to handle the security challenges affecting their states.
In this regard, he said, “We are urging the Nigerian government, led by His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, to assist us. The situation is beyond the control of the state government.
“The state governors are making efforts, but the situation is beyond their control.”
“We farmers are requesting government assistance. There is widespread hunger in the country, and palliatives alone cannot solve the country's problems.”
