Afenifere raises the alarm over attacks on farmers in South-West

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organization Afenifere has issued a stark warning regarding the persistent attacks and kidnappings of farmers and other residents across Nigeria's South-West region. The group highlighted that numerous incidents in Yorubaland and other parts of the country go unreported, underscoring a severe security crisis.

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First, one is fear of being kidnapped; second is the serious fall in prices that farmers could sell their proceeds as middlemen/middle-women (known as ‘Onibaranda’) are standing between them and direct purchasers, while the third reason is grazing on farmlands by unscrupulous herders that have not stopped despite several lamentations, warnings and steps taken.

Afenifere's recent visits to the Oke-Ogun Area and northern parts of Oyo and Ondo States revealed that residents have abandoned their farms for three primary reasons: the pervasive fear of kidnapping, a significant drop in produce prices due to middlemen, and the continued destruction of farmlands by herders. These issues collectively threaten the agricultural backbone of the region.

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persistent abductions of farmers, farm workers and agribusiness investors in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states had discouraged investment, reduce, d agricultural productivity and endangered the livelihoods of thousands of farming families

Recent events underscore the gravity of the situation, including the killing of a female farmer in Ondo State and the abduction of Ooreoluwa Osonuga, a 33-year-old poultry farmer, in Ikenne, Ogun State. In Oyo State's Oke-Ogun Area, four farmers were killed, and Debo Farounbi was kidnapped in Ora, Osun State. Farounbi's abductors are reportedly demanding further ransom and motorcycles despite receiving N30 million.

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because of insecurity.

The All Farmers Association of Nigeria previously reported that persistent abductions have discouraged investment, reduced agricultural productivity, and endangered thousands of farming families. Prominent farmers, like Eddy Olafeso in Ondo State, have abandoned their land due to insecurity. Shitu Kabir of the Cowpea and Beans Farmers Association of Nigeria noted a nearly 70% drop in production in the north, while Olugbenga Obaweya of the Ondo State Agricultural Commodities Association emphasized the risks to food production and potential for increased unemployment.

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production of these commodities has dropped by almost 70 per cent at least in the north.