By Solomon Odeniyi
The military high command has said troops have observed efforts by terrorists to impede farming activities in the northern region of the country.
It noted that this was evident in some of the heinous activities of terrorists in some villages, which included the imposition of levies on farmers before they were granted access to their farms, among others.
A military report of December 2023 sighted by our correspondent on Monday noted that these activities, if unchecked, could lead to severe food insecurity, with far-reaching consequences on the socio-economic structure of the affected areas.
In response, the report said troops had made preparations to checkmate the activities of the terrorists to prevent their plans from manifesting.
“Troops also observed that the efforts by the terrorists to disrupt farming activities as well as the imposition of levies on some villages before the farmers can access their farms could result in food insecurity which would negatively impact socio-economic activities in the areas. Accordingly, troops placed contingencies toward supporting humanitarian relief operations and curbing any insecurity as a result of the situation,” it partly read.
According to a report by the Cadre Harmonisé, an initiative focused on food and nutrition analysis, about 26.5 million Nigerians will face a high level of food insecurity in 2024.
The 2024 projection is a sharp rise from the 18.6 million people vulnerable to food insecurity from October to December 2023.
This shows that Nigeria is grappling with critical food insecurity. Also, the declaration of a state of emergency on food security in Nigeria on July 13 by President Bola Tinubu underscored the severity of the issue.
However, a security expert, Oladele Fajana, noted that with adequate security for farmers in the country, the situation could be addressed.
“It is good the military has observed the threats itself although it is not a new development. Also, note that the President is keen on making food available in abundance; he has this in his manifesto and has also said it on several occasions. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is to give adequate security to the farmers. As it is, many farmers are scared of going to their farms,” Fajana said.
