Farmers in Zamfara State are set to fulfill leaders of bandits within the state to barter their (farmers) safety and permit them to domesticate their farmland.

Recall that farmers and residents of some communities within the northern a part of the nation had stated they’d been paying levies and taxies to suspected bandits as a way to keep away from being attacked by the hoodlums.

The farmers, who spoke below the auspices of the All Farmers Affiliation of Nigeria, Zamfara State chapter, instructed Saturday PUNCH that their assembly with the bandits was anticipated to carry on Saturday (as we speak).

AFAN Public Relations Officer, Abdulhafiz Alkali, on Thursday, lamented that the Federal Authorities appeared to have deserted them to their destiny and jettisoned any concept of offering safety for farmers.

He stated, “What I learn about safety with the farmers is simply the negotiation between the bandits and the farmers. I’m residing in Zamfara State now. I do know that there might be a gathering by this coming Saturday between the farmers and the bandits.

“We misplaced loads of issues in Zamfara State. We despatched letters to the Federal Authorities to safe us 5 years in the past after complaining that the bandits had been disturbing us.

“We wanted the intervention of the Federal Authorities but it surely by no means got here. What we misplaced up to now seven to 6 years is between N30bn to N50bn on commodities solely.

“Many individuals from totally different international locations and states used to return to the Dansadua axis to purchase commodities to the tune of over N50b in a yr, however now, in a yr, we get lower than N2bn to N3bn.

“In Zamfara State, the commodities enterprise was value over N200bn to N300bn, however these bandits interrupted the enterprise. We wrote letters, we complained, however up until now, no response from the Federal Authorities.”

Talking additional on the backdrop of the current question of the Home of Representatives on the N18.9b COVID-19 agriculture mission spent by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Alkali stated authorities had not been carrying AFAN alongside in its current agriculture mission.

Alkali additional said that preparations had been in high gear by the affiliation to fulfill with the Ministry of Agriculture to get readability on the matter.

“We want between 3,000 and 5,000 (parcels of) arable land, most particularly within the North and South-South. For now, there was no communication between us and the ministry. No member of the All Farmers Affiliation is aware of about these initiatives.”

Recall that there was a current audit question and warrant summon of the Home of Representatives Committee on Public Account of the ministry.

In the meantime, the Nigerian Younger Farmers Community disclosed that they weren’t carried alongside on the programmes embarked upon by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture through the COVID-19 lockdown, the place N18.9b was spent.

The Director Basic of the YFA, Promise Amamah, stated none of its members had benefitted from the COVID-19 authorities programme.

He lamented that the Nigerian agriculture sector was not solely underfunded however was additionally susceptible to favouritism.

In the meantime the Zamfara State Police command via its spokesperson, Muhammed Shehu stated he’s unaware of the event.

He stated, “Am not conscious that farmers are assembly bandits. However all I do know is that the police in collaboration with the navy have taken safety measures to save lots of guard farmlands to make sure farmers go to their farmlands and farm with none assault, with none risk from bandits.

“That’s the reason the farmers are at the moment capable of go to their farms. So, we’re working tirelessly with different safety businesses and vigilantes.”