December 27, 2023/CSL Research

News reports say gunmen attacked Ndun, Ngyong, Murfet, Makundary, Tamiso, Chiang, Tahore, Gawarba, Dares, Meyenga, Darwat, and Butura Kampani villages in the Barkin Ladi, Mangu and Bokkos areas of Plateau state on Sunday, burning houses and shooting residents. The Chairman of a group known as Community Peace Observers in the Bokkos Local Government Area noted in an interview that over 150 people were killed in the attacks. Many residents of the affected villages are taking refuge in churches, mosques, and schools as there are reports that the attacks are still on. Attacks in this region has previously been perpetrated by herdsmen.

The Nigerian security situation has steadily worsened over the past few years, as banditry, herdsmen attacks, kidnapping, insurgency, terrorism, and all sorts of social crimes have spread across all parts of the country. Bandits have continued to launch attacks unabated in the northern region.

Earlier in the year, it was reported that no fewer than 75 persons, including internally displaced persons, had been murdered in different communities by armed herdsmen in Benue State. Also, in Zamfara in March, bandits attacked the headquarters of the Maru Local Government, killing a divisional police officer and two others. Scores of people including security operatives were also killed across several communities in Niger State by suspected bandits.

More importantly, the insecurity situation has hampered food production over the years affecting growth of the agricultural sector. Though many other issues such as inadequate infrastructure, limited access to finance and markets, low adoption of technology and innovation, inadequate extension services, climate change, and environmental degradation have limited productivity in the agricultural sector, insecurity remains the most serious of the sector’s problems.

Till date, farmers, even those in the southern region complain of attacks on their farms by herdsmen. Many farmers have been hacked to death on their farms while trying to stop the herdsmen from destroying their crops, making others afraid to go to their farms. This has significantly reduced food production.

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