A commercial farmer based in Enugu State, Mr. Ekene Uzodinma, has raised the alarm over increasing attacks by armed Fulani herdsmen in farming communities across the country, warning that Nigeria may face a devastating food security crisis if urgent steps are not taken.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Uzodinma narrated his ordeal in the hands of violent herders who, he said, have repeatedly destroyed his investments and endangered his life and those of his workers.
According to him, over 30 hectares of rice and four hectares of corn fields have been destroyed in separate incidents. He recalled how one of his rice farms was burnt shortly after harvest, while herders’ cattle invaded his fields on multiple occasions.
“Last year, I was physically attacked on my farm. Some of my workers were stabbed and macheted. We managed to arrest one of the attackers and handed him over to the police, but up till now, no action has been taken. No investigation. No justice,” he lamented.
The farmer, visibly shaken, said the cost of setting up and maintaining his farm runs into several millions of naira, losses he now has no hope of recovering.
“This is no longer about farmer-herder clashes. This is terrorism. The silence from government and security agencies is deafening. If this continues, Nigeria will experience a full-blown food crisis,” Uzodinma said.
He urged the Federal Government to urgently deploy armed forces to farming communities under siege, particularly in the Middle Belt and Southeast states, including Enugu and Benue.
Uzodinma also demanded that the Federal Government establish a special investigative panel with powers to prosecute, while calling for compensation and rehabilitation for affected farmers.
He further advocated for the full enforcement of open grazing restrictions and the implementation of strong land protection laws for rural communities.
“We cannot continue to feed this nation and be slaughtered while doing it. If the government won’t protect us, who will? Enough is enough,” he declared.
The farmer’s outcry adds to growing concerns among stakeholders in the agriculture sector who have consistently warned about the worsening insecurity in rural Nigeria and its impact on national food production.
