Herdsmen attacks: Farmers send SOS to security agencies

Small scale farmers in Kwara State, under the umbrella body of Small Holder Farmers Association of Nigeria (SHOFAN) have cried out to law enforcement agencies and stakeholders in the state over incessant attack on their farms by Fulani herdsmen in some parts of the state.

Speaking with Nigerian Tribune in Ilorin on Thursday during presentation of a 10-point demand by the women farmers to the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, a spokesperson of the women, Madam Iyabo Babatunde, said that women had been the major victims of cattle herders’ attacks in such local government areas as Kaiama, Asa, Patigi, Edu among others.

The farmer, who hailed from Gbago community in Asa Local Government Area, said that cattle herders swarmed on her vegetable and cassava farmland few days ago and destroyed the cash crops.

“My children and my husband chased the herders and the cattle. Apparently, the herders had called their relations at home. So they in turn chased away my people, threatened them with cutlass and other dangerous weapons, should my people refused to go away. That’s how they’ve been carrying out their nefarious attacks on our farms.

“Even when we meet them on our farms destroying our crops, they stand in up to us. Its quite discouraging because we the women are the major farmers in our areas. We plant cassava, vegetables, pepper, garden eggs, soya beans.

“The cows use their horns to uproot our cassava right from the soil to destroy it. The cows could be so destructive. We record losses on our farm crops due to the attack on our farms. We have to go to market to buy what we are supposed to produce. That’s how poverty sets in,” she said.

Also speaking, the programme coordinator of a women farmers group, Mrs. Folake Kuti, said efforts at addressing the matters with community heads had failed, adding that the herders always go scot free.

“They are always treated as special beings. There was a time the herders’ cattle ate up my neighbours farms crops. The village head said we should report the matter to police station. Nothing came out of it till now. And that has been the case. No compensation. No justice.

“ The herders always attack our farms in the afternoon when we would have left the farm, or during market days when we would have gone to the market to buy or sell. When me meet them on our farms sometimes, they confront us with dangerous weapons.

“Government, law enforcement agencies, and other stakeholders should come to our aid. Government must as a matter of urgency and put in place security measures to protect lives of female farmers and their farms from cattle herders’ invasion and menace. When they destroy farm belonging to husband and wife, what’s left to eat by the family? Is that not poverty?”, she asked rhetorically.

Madam Kuti, who also demanded a gender responsive agricultural policy that would take into consideration role and contributions of small holder female farmers, said that an agricultural budget that has specific line items targeted at small holder women farmers should be encouraged.

In his response, the permanent secretary in the ministry, Mr. Simeon Opowoye, called on the women farmers to make themselves available for government programmes aimed at encouraging their businesses.

He said a sum of N1 billion would be made available next year for farmers in the state to address food security, adding that women are burden bearers that should be assisted.