Agricultural instability has been threatened by the tragic murder of over 43 farmers in Borno State by suspected members of Boko Haram, farmers from the state said on Sunday.
The president of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, (AFAN), Kabiru Ibrahim, told newsmen on Sunday that some farmers had abandoned their harvests for fear of attacks.
The association disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists in Abuja, as a reaction to the death of 43 rice farmers who were killed on Saturday while harvesting their crops at Garin-Kwashebe rice field in Maiduguri.
The statement signed by the Managing Director, Wal-Wanne Group, Abiso Kabi, said many farmers had lost their investments and means of livelihood, adding that the sad incident would not only cause instability in the zone but would lead to poverty and make the people be over-dependence on aid.
According to them, the number of farmers massacred in the attack could be more than 43, as many persons were still missing.
Kabi said the Koila Agro-Allied Nigeria Limited was the most affected company, as it lost many of its farmers to the attack and called on the Federal Government to recruit more persons into the civilian joint task force to boost security in the State.
He also appealed to the government to come up with measures that would enhance public confidence in the security and intelligence agencies.
