Stakeholders in the agricultural sector have described the continuous killing of farmers as an indication of government failure.
The farmers also demand for an audience with President Muhammadu Buhari, while seeking for life insurance coverage for all farmers.
The President Abuja Farmers Development Association (AFDA), Mr Omotayo Obaje said the government has failed in terms of security for the farmers.
“This killings is a failure of our government. Because as farmers we are the strongest supporters of this administration, we voted for the President massively, we supported passionately, because we saw him as one of us and believed that he was going to solve the problem of farmers. Though he tried on some of the steps he took, but this insecurity is eroding every gains.
“So this insecurity is the failure of the government, I wonder why the security chiefs will not be changed seeing there is no improvement. The earlier the President understand this and change them, the better.
“These attacks are not limited to rice farmers, farmers across the country are being killed on daily basis. Many are being injured, recently the chief of a village called Bagana, in Kogi state, was killed along side other rice farmers just because they fumigated their farms and the herdsmen went there to grass their cattle on the farm and some of those cows died as a result of that. These herdsmen came back and killed many farmers, while the corpse of the chief was thrown on the road.
“Now that farmers are being killed,how do we go to farm to produce food for the same nation that cannot protect us. So we advise that the security architecture of this country be changed.
We don’t understand what agreement the presidency has entered with the Service Chiefs, what did they see in Buratai, that makes it difficult to remove him? Bring new people, that can inject fresh ideas to solve this problem of insecurity,” he said.
Also, former Kano State All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Chairman and current President, Alhaji Faruk Modi, said the association has visited Borno State Governor to condole with him on the killing of the farmers and has also visited the villages to encourage the farmers.
He however said the farmers are demanding for personal meeting with President Buhari, on farmers security and on the need to provide insurance provided for all farmers.
The National President, Rice Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Peter Dama, said farmers should not be expected to take permission before going to farm, saying security coverage should be provided for farmers.
