House Urges FG to Establish Special Taskforce on Borno Farmers’ Killings

Juliet Akoje in Abuja

The House of Representatives has urged the federal government to establish a special task force dedicated to addressing the security challenges in the Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Constituency area of Borno State with a mandate to protect the lives and property of the farmers.

The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance on the Need to stop killing peasant farmers in Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza constituency and provide safe and reliable security for farmers to harvest their hard-earned farm produce moved by Hon. Ahmed Jaha at plenary yesterday.

The House also urged the security agencies to intensify intelligence gathering and surveillance activities in the constituency to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of attacks on farmers and has also urged the federal government, in collaboration with the state and local governments to deploy additional security personnel and resources to the Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Constituency to provide adequate protection to farmers and their farms.

The lawmakers further urged the government to provide financial assistance and support to affected farmers, who have suffered losses due to attacks, to help them recover and sustain their agricultural activities.

Jaha, while presenting the motion said, “I rise today to bring to the attention of this honorable House the urgent and critical issue of the continuous killing of peasant farmers in the Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Constituency.

“The farmers in our constituency, who work tirelessly to provide food for our nation, are facing grave threats to their lives, hindering their ability to harvest their hard-earned farm produce. It is our responsibility as representatives of the people to address this issue with utmost urgency and ensure the safety and security of our constituents.

“The fact that agriculture is the backbone of our economy and the main source of livelihood for the majority of our constituents, we cannot afford to overlook the constant attacks on our farmers.”

“These attacks not only result in loss of lives but also severely disrupt food production, leading to food scarcity, increased prices, and economic instability in our constituency.

“The persistent insecurity in the Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Constituency has created an environment of fear and uncertainty, discouraging farmers from cultivating their lands and leaving their hard-earned farm produce unharvested. This not only leads to financial losses for the farmers but also exacerbates the food insecurity situation in our constituency and the country as a whole.

“Acknowledging the efforts of the security agencies in combating insurgency and terrorism in our constituency, we must recognize that more needs to be done to provide a safe and reliable security environment for our farmers. The current security measures have proven inadequate in deterring attacks on innocent farmers, and it is high time we take decisive action to protect their lives and ensure their economic well-being.”

The House, however, urged the government to engage in dialogue and collaboration with relevant stakeholders, including community leaders, traditional rulers, and local vigilante groups, to develop a comprehensive security strategy for the specific needs of the Chibok/ Damboa/Gwoza Constituency.