Farmers in Yobe have begun relocating to their fields to stop a rising wave of crop theft because the harvest season begins.
An investigation by the Information Company of Nigeria (NAN) throughout Damaturu, Gujba, Gashua, and Karasuwa Native Authorities Areas (LGAs) discovered that many farmers are actually spending 24 hours on their farms to safeguard their produce.
Alhaji Usman Ngari, chairman of the Yobe department of the All Farmers Affiliation, described the state of affairs as unprecedented. “In my 35 years of business farming, crop theft largely affected sesame and bean farms,” he mentioned.
“What we’re witnessing this yr, nonetheless, is a brand new regular as a result of thieves now steal all types of crops, posing a risk to the livelihood of farmers. The state of affairs has grow to be alarming as many farmers now spend days and nights on farms to guard their crops.”
Ngari attributed the rise in crop theft to the 2024 floods and the prevailing financial difficulties. He famous that a number of the thieves may need misplaced their crops to the latest floods or lack the assets to farm as a consequence of monetary hardship.
He urged farmers to kind teams for farm safety and report suspicious actions to safety businesses. Moreover, he referred to as on state safety outfits to accentuate farm patrols to assist handle the issue.
One affected farmer, Mr. Paul Ogaji from Mutai village in Gujba LGA, reported that sorghum price N16 million was stolen from his farm on October 15.
“The thieves got here within the evening and reduce about 80 p.c of mature sorghum. They loaded it in a car and fled. By my estimation, they took about 180 luggage of the crop. What they left behind was no more than 20 luggage. The market worth of a bag of sorghum is now about N75,000,” he mentioned.
One other farmer, Babagana Kolo, reported that roughly 10 luggage of rice, every valued at N130,000 to N140,000, have been stolen from his farm in Dikumari, a Damaturu suburb, on October 28.
Equally, Madu Aisami, a sesame farmer in Malum Kunu, Karasuwa LGA, reported that greater than 20 heaps of harvested sesame stalks, about 20 luggage in complete, have been stolen from his farm.
“They hid beneath the quilt of the evening to steal 20 heaps of sesame, which is about 20 luggage of the money crop. It is a big loss to me as the value of sesame is now between N120,000 and N130,000 per bag,” he mentioned.
Mr. Ahmed Isa, the state commander of the Agro Rangers unit of the Nigeria Safety and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), confirmed the rise in crop theft. He acknowledged that the unit had arrested 15 people in reference to these crimes within the 2024 cropping season.
Nevertheless, he famous that circumstances have been typically dropped as a consequence of victims withdrawing complaints, typically on the insistence of conventional rulers preferring out-of-station settlements.
The commander suggested farmers to take harvested crops residence quite than leaving them within the fields, noting that the observe of storing heaps on farmland is not safe. He appealed for presidency assist, highlighting the necessity for extra autos and gasoline to conduct patrols successfully.
“Combating crop theft requires enough operational autos and constant refuelling of the autos for normal patrols. I’ve just one operational car, and as you may see, its tyres have worn out. I’m due to this fact interesting to all essential stakeholders to assist us in order that we will serve them higher,” Isa mentioned.
