Kwara Farmers Cry Out Over Persistent Attacks, Warn of Looming Food Security Crisis

By Bamidele Aremu

Young farmers in Tsaragi, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, have raised alarm over continued assaults by suspected hoodlums, whom they described as religious extremists targeting non-native farmers in the area.

In a statement issued in Ilorin by their spokesperson, Abiola Aliu Bolarinwa, the farmers said the attackers, believed to be both locals and outsiders, frequently harass and intimidate those involved in commercial farming, particularly those not originally from the community.

Bolarinwa warned that the persistent attacks pose a serious threat to food production and security, not only in Kwara State but across the country.

He revealed that he himself became a target after converting to Christianity, facing acts of discrimination, destruction of his farmland, and threats to his life.

“We are being encouraged by our government to embrace farming to ensure food sufficiency, and we gather money to engage in commercial agriculture to make ends meet, more so when our vocations could not provide us with economic sustenance.

“This situation is discouraging and dangerous. I have run for my dear life when I was being declared wanted by the hoodlums”, he said.

According to him, the farmers cultivate crops such as yams, pepper, maize, soybeans, and potatoes. He stressed that if the situation is not addressed urgently, it could have devastating consequences on food production in the region.

The group appealed to relevant stakeholders, law enforcement agencies, particularly the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the police, and the state government to intervene promptly to prevent a potential breakdown of law and order.