Former Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) for Zone 2, Bala Hassan, has highlighted the devastating impact of insecurity on Nigeria’s food production, attributing the rising cost of food to the inability of farmers to access their farmlands in recent years. Speaking on Channels Television’s Independence Day special programme, Hassan stated that many farmers in the North-West, a key agricultural region, have been unable to farm for as long as four years due to persistent threats from bandits.
“I know the security agencies have been trying their best to make sure farmers go back to their land but definitely, there is still a lot more to be done,” Hassan said. He emphasized the importance of the North-West in producing a significant portion of Nigeria’s food, as well as cattle, but lamented that bandits have prevented farmers from tending to their crops and livestock.
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He further explained that the attacks by these local gangs, commonly referred to as bandits, often occur during both the planting and harvesting seasons. “They farmers go to the farm, they will be kidnapped, and they bandits ask for ransom,” Hassan revealed. “Even when you go to the farm after planting, when you come to harvest, these bandits will come and cause problems and kill the farmers. So, that has disrupted a lot of farming activities.”
Hassan called for more coordinated efforts to secure farming regions, emphasizing that the insecurity is not only disrupting agricultural production but also directly contributing to the steep rise in food prices across the country. While acknowledging the efforts of security agencies, he stressed that the situation remains dire and requires more proactive measures to ensure the safety of farmers and stabilize the food supply chain.
