Banditry: 15 Abuja communities face food shortage

About 15 rural communities in both Gurdi and Gawu wards of Abaji Area Council of the FCT are facing food shortage as many farmers have fled their farms over fear of being attacked by bandits. Farmers who spoke through telephone with our reporter on Monday, said Kutara, Nasarawa I, Nasarawa II, Kwago, Munamaya, Gulida, Gwanda, […]

About 15 rural communities in both Gurdi and Gawu wards of Abaji Area Council of the FCT are facing food shortage as many farmers have fled their farms over fear of being attacked by bandits.

Farmers who spoke through telephone with our reporter on Monday, said Kutara, Nasarawa I, Nasarawa II, Kwago, Munamaya, Gulida, Gwanda, Yagbani, Paikon Basa, Bari-Bari, Madani, Shadadi, Chakumi, Kambo and Rafin-Daji communities were worst affected by shortage of food.

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A farmer, Danjuma Adamu, who is a native of Nasarawa II, said bandits had destroyed his yam and maize farms.

He said, “As I am talking to you, I have over 5,000 ridges of yam that are due for harvest, but I can’t go near the farm because of fear of being abducted by bandits. The bandits and herders have harvested some of the yams.”

Another farmer, a native of Munamaya, Ishaku Alhassan, said he also abandoned his farms because of incessant attacks by bandits who moved in broad daylight to kidnap their victims.

He said that herders had taken advantage of the abandoning of the farms to move their cows to eat up crops on the farms.

He further said, “As I am talking to you right now, apart from my yam and Guinea corn farms, which have already been destroyed by bandits, the Fulani have also moved their cows in the farms to eat up the crops.”

The Village Head of Gulida, Abubakar Sadauna, who also spoke with our reporter, said that herders now moved their cows into farms at night and ate up crops.

He said, “Apart from the fear of attack by bandits which forced many farmers to abandon their farms, the herders now take the advantage to move their cows into the farms to graze.”

He added that, “The Village Head of Bari Bari called me yesterday and told me how herders used cutlasses to cut down his Guinea corn on his farm.”

He, therefore, expressed fear of a likely shortage of food in some rural communities, while appealing to the government to as a matter of urgency come to the aid of his people and other neighbouring villages.

The Ardon Fulani of Abaji Area Council, Malam Saidu Ibrahim, could not be reached as his phone was switched off.

Spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, DSP Adeh Josephine, was yet to reply to an SMS about the development.