Young farmers in the Tsaragi community of Edu Local Government Area in Kwara State have raised concern over repeated attacks by suspected hoodlums, warning that the unchecked violence could undermine food sufficiency in the state and across Nigeria.
In a statement released in Ilorin by their spokesperson Abiola Aliu Bolarinwa, the farmers lamented that the attacks, carried out by religious extremists, target non-indigenous farmers who are actively involved in commercial agriculture in the area.
Bolarinwa emphasized that the growing insecurity poses a serious threat to food production and the livelihoods of those striving to sustain themselves through farming.
He stated that the perpetrators include known individuals within the community as well as outsiders, all of whom have made it increasingly dangerous for the farmers to carry out their work. Bolarinwa, who said he personally became a target after converting to Christianity a few months ago, described how his farm was repeatedly vandalized while he faced threats to his life.
“I have experienced open discrimination, verbal abuse, and destruction of my crops. I was forced to abandon my farmland and flee for safety after I was declared wanted by the hoodlums.
It is heartbreaking that we are being encouraged by the government to engage in agriculture, yet we are left exposed to this kind of violence,” he said.
The farmers grow essential food crops such as yams, maize, soybeans, potatoes, and pepper.
Bolarinwa warned that if the attacks continue, the situation will discourage farmers and reduce overall productivity, with dangerous implications for food supply in Kwara and beyond.
He further stressed that many of the affected farmers had taken to agriculture after their previous means of livelihood became unsustainable.
“We pooled our resources to go into farming so we can survive and also contribute to the economy. But this situation is becoming intolerable,” he added.
The farmers have appealed to the Kwara State government, law enforcement agencies, including the Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, as well as traditional rulers and other local stakeholders, to urgently intervene. They warned that if swift action is not taken, the growing hostility could trigger a breakdown of law and order in the area.
They called for enhanced protection to ensure that peace returns to the farming community, so that they can continue to contribute meaningfully to food production and national development.
