Fakoyejo OlalekanA former Managing Director of Kaduna State Media Corporation (KSMC), Zubairu Abdulra’uf, said bandits in the state have received N400 million in two years to allow farmers in Birnin Gwari town access their farms.
Abdulra’uf disclosed to newsmen on Thursday, that since the rainy season began this year, farmers have been kidnapped by the bandits, and residents in the community now arm themselves for protection.
According to him, farmers were previously paying the bandits for pre-season and mid-season, in a bid to stay alive or from being kidnapped while heading to their farm.
Abdulra’uf, who is a member of the Birnin Emirate in Kaduna State, Danmasani Birnin Gwari, told the press that, “N200 million was paid to bandits in Randegi district alone. When you talk of Birni-Gwari Local Government as a whole, it’s between N300 million to N400 million paid to these bandits.”
He added that, “There are three stages of paying these types of taxes to these bandits. You have to pay pre-season and mid-season when the crops are about to start yeilding.
“You will pay these bandits because they will not allow you to have access to your farm. Then, at the end of the season when you are harvesting, you will give these bandits money before you access your farm.
“And when you access your farm after paying these taxes, they will now tell you that apart from giving them money, you will give a ratio of two bags to 10 bags of all the assorted grains.”
Impending food crisis in Nigeria?
Abdulra’uf said the attack on farmers could result to food crisis, considering farmers are now scared to visit their farm, resulting to drop of crop production from the area, which will impact the level of output in Nigeria.
“For the past three years, this is what Birnin-Gwari people have been enduring and we are now in a state of hopelessness and frustration.
“When people are frustrated, they will now look for the best option for themselves which is to arm themselves if the government cannot protect them.
“We are living in a situation where people can no longer work or even travel one kilometre from Birni Gwari town to other areas and it’s the same thing that we have in all the districts in Birnin Gwari.
“If something is not done, we are going to have a food crisis. Birnin-Gwari Gwari used to produce at least 700 metric tonnes of assorted grains but now people cannot access their farms.
“There are many cases since the beginning of this rainy season, that people are being abducted on their way to the farm and even the cattle they use for farming are being collected from them.” he said
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