Former Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) for Zone 2, Bala Hassan, has linked the rising cost of food in Nigeria to insecurity, noting that many farmers have been unable to access their farms for up to four years due to safety concerns.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Independence Day special programme, Hassan highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by farmers, particularly in the North-West, a region that produces a significant portion of the country’s food supply and cattle.
“I know the security agencies have been doing their best to help farmers return to their land, but there is still much more to be done,” he said. “In the North-West, many farmers have not been able to go back to the farm for the past two, three, or even four years.”
Hassan explained that local gangs, commonly referred to as bandits, frequently target farmers, demanding money from them during both the planting and harvesting seasons.
“These bandits kidnap farmers, demand ransom, and even when farmers return to harvest their crops, the bandits attack again, causing harm and sometimes killing the farmers,” he said, adding that this ongoing violence has severely disrupted agricultural activities in the region.