NSCDC will end Jigawa farmer-herder clashes – CG

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NSCDC will end Jigawa farmer-herder clashes – CG

The Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Abubakar Audi, has promised to deploy well-trained Agro Rangers personnel to Jigawa State to find lasting solutions to the lingering farmer-herder clashes.

This was in response to a request made by the State Governor, Umar Namadi, who decried the incessant attacks on farmers in his state, during a visit to the corps Headquarters in Abuja.

According to him, the attacks have instilled fear in the minds of the farmers in the state.

The governor requested the presence of the NSCDC Agro Rangers to address the apprehension among the farmers.

A statement on Thursday by the spokesperson for the NSCDC, Shola Odumosu, partly read, “I appeal for the prompt intervention of the corps in providing security for farmers in the affected areas to restore their confidence to freely go back to their farms. I want to passionately appeal to you to give us a squad or a team of your Agro Rangers who are well trained and specialised in dealing with the issue at hand.

“If we have that opportunity, it will bring lasting peace to the area; our people will be able to go to the farm, and economic activities in the area will certainly improve.”

He warned that the attacks on farmers could affect food security in the country if not urgently addressed.

“Jigawa State contributes a lot to the food security of the nation, and the affected area is a major point where food is produced for both the people of the state and the nation at large,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the NSCDC boss assured the governor that the corps would provide the service needed.

He said, “By our Act, NSCDC is mandated to protect and provide security for the government’s critical national assets and infrastructure. We have over 10,000 staff in the Agro Rangers’ department that are well-trained to provide security and safety for farmers and other agro-allied products and investments in the nation.

“We concentrate on states that are major producers of food for this nation, and Jigawa is one of the states that give food security to this country. We have been getting intelligence reports on the way bandits and kidnappers scare farmers, and since we have some reserve personnel for this kind of request, we will provide the service that you need.”