Nigeria distressed over armed attacks on farmers, risk of food crisis

By Agnel Maria

The violence against farmers in Nigeria has worsened the current food shortage crisis.

Earlier this year, an armed gang killed 147 farmers. Many had been kidnapped and had gone missing in the northeastern Nigerian states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe Molai.

Nigerian farmers are leaving their homes in various parts of the nation in order to survive as the number of attacks increases, displacing people from their places of business and causing them to lose their sources of income.

More than 3,000 people were displaced, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and hundreds of homes were destroyed.

Bulma, a Nigerian farmer, says, “They stole our agricultural produce, leaving us helpless and nothing to take home.

"The hunger that most of us are suffering in this community is due to the fact that the insurgents prevent us from accessing agricultural lands and, even when we risk our lives in our fields, they steal everything and leave us to starve.”

Although Bulma's job puts his life in danger, he added that, if he stops, his children will be affected by the aftermath, as they likely will starve and die.

Hunger strikes Nigeria

Reports from UNICEF estimate that about 25 million Nigerians could be starving between June and August, 2023.

Save the Children, along with other international humanitarian organizations, extends a helping hand by providing food, clean water, nutrition and health services. Apart from that, they are offering the government, technical assistance for policy adjustments and reforms, especially in major areas like social security, health, and education.

Action, Save the Children notes, must be taken right away to put the needs of the people first in order to stop this serious trend of food crises.

It says it is vital to protect the lives of innocent people from these armed organizations which continue their violent attacks on families of these farmers.