The Nigerian Defence Headquarters has announced the deployment of troops to farms across the Northern states, particularly in the North West and North Central regions, to ensure a smooth farming season and address food insecurity and inflation.
This move comes as part of a broader strategy to protect farmers from bandits and terrorists who have wreaked havoc in these regions over the last six months.
According to Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, the deployment has already enabled several farmers to access their farms without disruption. “With the commencement of the rainy season, troops are currently deployed in several northern states to protect farmers. This has facilitated a hitch-free planting season aimed at achieving a bumper harvest,” Buba said.
This initiative aligns with previous efforts by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who also noted that police patrols on farms had been initiated to boost farmers’ confidence in returning to their fields. “In the North East, farm patrols have started to restore confidence among farmers. The President is very concerned about this issue, and we are doing our best to address it,” Egbetokun stated.
The Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Kabir Ibrahim, has confirmed the increased security presence on farms across the country, a development that comes amid rising food inflation, which reached 40.87 percent in June, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
The deployment of troops follows reports that bandits and terrorists have killed hundreds of farmers and kidnapped many more in the region, contributing to the ongoing food price hikes. A report by SBM Intelligence revealed that farmers in the North had paid approximately N139 million in farm levies to bandits between 2020 and 2023.
