A local farmer from Wukari Local government Area of Taraba State, Mr Agbu Atoshi, is afraid to go to his farm like many of his colleagues to avoid being killed.
Atoshi said he lost two relations when suspected Tiv men attacked them on the farm near the General Hospital Wukari in August, 2019.
“Government should provide a platform for sincere dialogue that will lead to a solution to the crisis. As it is now, we don’t have a source of livelihood again and if this continues, many youths would take to crime to survive,’’ said. When our correspondent sighted some farmers along Peva-Sai -Abako road on the border between Taraba and Benue, it was a scene of people desperate to survival hunger. While some were busy farming, others sat on tree tops in the area, keeping watch of any impending danger.that they had devised a strategy to ensure that they produce food for their families next year.
“Before now, a minimum of 33 trucks load of yams and grains usually left Wukari market daily; 17 in Tor-Iorshagher market and between 70 and 100 at the Peva market on a weekly basis to different parts of the country. But today one hardly counts five in all the markets except Peva which is still trying.
“I am seeing a serious hunger next year and it will not only affect us but those coming from other places across the country to buy foodstuff. There is nothing more important to us now than peace. We want peace so that everybody will continue with his normal life. For now, the challenges are just too much.’’
“The rate of hate speeches, blackmail, and name-calling sometimes orchestrated by organs and functionaries of government remains worrisome. The lingering crisis which has destroyed the economy of the areas under attack is also threatening food security of the entire state as the epic centre of agricultural production is now a no- go area.
“A tin of rice now goes for N900 as against N400. A bag of maize is now N18, 000 as against N5, 000 last year. The cost of food has gone up to an all-time high. “Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was delay in the arrival of the raw material and so some marketers are adulterating fertilisers to make quick money. We don’t want to put our farmers at risk and that’s why there is delay in the procurement of fertilisers this year.
The commissioner said the measures were designed to make agriculture a viable venture to attract more people especially the youth and to reduce youth restiveness, create jobs and boost food security.Residents of the affected communities in southern zone also recounted their losses to the crisis. “I want to call on Governor Darius Ishaku and his Benue counterpart, Samuel Ortom, to jointly find a lasting solution to the crisis,” she said.
“All the two attacks happened on a market day and took people unawares. People who stored goods and had investments lost them to the crisis. Nege said; “We all know the economic implication of not having farm produce; the prices of food items will increase and hunger will fester in the land. I want to call on the Federal Government to rise and put a stop to the crisis for the good of all.”
The priest who addressed a press conference in Jalingo recently said; “The escalation of the fighting comes with dire consequences on human life and all aspects of our life and work. As a mainly agragrian state, farming activities have been severely hampered; other aspects of economic life are also adversely disrupted.
Dan-Abu said Ishaku held several meetings with Tiv and Jukun leaders in Jalingo for the purpose of achieving peace between the two groups, knowing that agriculture remained the mainstay of the state economy and continuous fighting would hamper food production. “It was a dry season and by the time rain set in we returned to our village and rebuilt it in our own way. Unfortunately, the herdsmen returned and sacked the villagers twice in 2015 and it became all-year round attack from 2017 till now.
Over the years, Fulani herdsmen had been residing in Benue State and the people co-habited peacefully with their host communities, the Tivs, Idomas, Igedes and Etulos. Report had it that the violent attacks on Benue communities by the armed herdsmen started in 2011. Initial security report indicated that the armed herdsmen militias were possibly the offshoot of the Boko Haram fighters who fled the North-East through coastline down to the North-Central.
Tahanongo stated that he had over 500 hectares of farmland where he cultivated rice, yam, mill and soyabeans in commercial quantity. He added that he had to abandon the farm after armed herdsmen destroyed the crops and turned the place to their abode. The farmer said that the implication of the incessant attacks by herdsmen on Benue communities was food insecurity which he said was already hitting the nation hard with high cost of food stuffs in the market.
“It is unfortunate that the Federal Government which claimed to have prioritised agriculture is handling the armed herdsmen militias attacks on farmers with kid gloves.’’ Iorhembe stated, “I am from Umenger village in the Guma local council and I had about 20 hectares of farmland where I used to cultivate rice and maize. Those days, one would love to be a farmer because of the money one would make.
Saaku lamented that about 10 local government areas of the state were forcefully occupied by the armed herdsmen who he said had agenda to take over the state. “They do these to make sure they take over our land and since they don’t have food, they know that food is a weapon in war. They do all these to weaken us and those who could escape would later find themselves in IDPs camps.
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