By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

Farmers in Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State have abandoned agricultural activities on their farmlands, due to the resurgence of terrorism and other criminal acts perpetrated by non-state actors in the rural communities.

Speaking exclusively to our correspondent on Monday, a traditional title holder of Dan Masanin Birnin-Gwari and former Managing Director of Kaduna State Media Corporation, Zubairu Abdurrauf, said less than 20% of farmlands in the Local Government Area were been attended to as the local farmers had run away for their lives, leaving the terrorists to hold sway.

According to him,” Well the resurgence of armed banditry, kidnappings and burning of villages and towns by the terrorists in Birnin-Gwari Local Government as a whole, is sending a signal of famine in our area.”

“This is because as it is now, most of the farming communities cannot access their farms. If last year out of 100% of arable land the farmers were able to only cultivate about 45%,I doubt if this planting season we can be able to see our people plant in their various farms that would reach 15 or 20%.”

“So the alarming nature of these incidences was as a result of these terrorists coming back in full swing, trying to see how far they can be able to get more money from people .”

” Our people are living in abject poverty and they don’t have money. These terrorists came calling, asking and sending messages of abduction.”

“For instance, the terrorists have been attacking from all corners..The Birnin-Gwari Kaduna highway has become a nightmare. Every day in a particular location these terrorists would abduct, kill and maim many people, innocent travellers. “

He said even if the military were able to safeguard the Highways and protect the communities, there was still much to do in the hard-to-reach areas or the extreme parts of the Local Government Area.

He, therefore, suggested a synergy between the military and locals in the affected communities, insisting that an inter-agency collaboration was imperative towards finding a solution to the killings in the area.

While linking the resurgence of terrorism in the area to the Supreme Court judgement that allowed the free flow of cash, hitherto regulated by the Naira redesign policy, the Dan Masanin Birnin-Gwari said the terrorists were now wild and out to perpetrate their nefarious activities and get more money to take care of themselves and buy more arms.