A growing wave of insecurity in Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State is leaving farmers and herders in distress, with many unable to cultivate crops or rear livestock this year.
Fear of kidnapping and violent attacks by armed groups has forced rural dwellers in more than 15 communities to abandon their means of livelihood.
From villages such as Garga, Dadin Kowa, Gada, Keram, Gyanbahu, Dungur, Wanka, Kukawa and Shuwaka, farmers say they are no longer able to access their farmlands. Many now remain at home, unsure of when it will be safe to return to the fields.
In Garga, a resident named Gambo Musa explained how the uncertainty around safety has destroyed this year’s farming prospects.
“There is no farming this year because we cannot access our farms. We are always afraid of going to the farms. There is no farming for us,” he said, adding that with the rains expected to subside by September, there is little hope for a successful planting season.
Others in the region are equally disheartened. In Gyangyen village, Abdulaziz Adam described how bandit activity is disrupting the entire community.
“There is a problem, honestly. As villagers, we are known for farming and rearing, but these activities are threatened by the insecurity in our community. Bandits are not allowing us to go to the farms. If you go to the farm, you will be kidnapped, and we don’t have the capacity to pay a ransom,” he said.
He added that the criminals now target people even in their homes.
Usman Adamu, another affected resident, shared similar frustrations. He said that not only have the farms become inaccessible, but bandits have also stolen their cattle, effectively cutting off the two main sources of income for many families in the area.
The continued raids have sparked growing concern among residents, who are urging authorities to intervene. They fear widespread hunger in the coming months if the situation does not improve.
Security officials acknowledge the challenges. Retired Rainbow Brigadier General Gakji Shipi, Special Adviser on Security to Governor Caleb Mutfwang and Coordinator of Operations in the state, explained that Kanam and neighboring Wase are particularly vulnerable because of their proximity to the expansive Odare Forest.
The forest, which stretches across Plateau, Bauchi and Taraba states, is believed to provide cover for the armed groups operating in the region.
According to General Shipi, the state is working on strengthening collaborations with neighboring states to address the problem.
“Efforts are being made to coordinate operations with sister states to end the insecurity bedevilling the area,” he said during a press briefing in Jos.
