Stakeholders seek better security for farmers
Troops in Kaduna State have foiled mass kidnap through aerial patrols, and rescued scores of hostages in Igabi Local Council of the state.
The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said yesterday that reports from locals around Ungwan Najaja, Kerawa and Igabi local councils indicated that the aerial patrols of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) foiled the mass kidnap by bandits.
According to him, the bandits invaded the village and kidnap scores of women, but security agencies were immediately notified and fighter jets were swiftly mobilised to the location.
“The bandits were moving with the large number of women kidnapped from Ungwan Najaja when the air platforms traced them to the outskirts of the village. On sighting the air platforms and conscious of air interdictions following warning shots, the bandits scampered into the forest and abandoned the women.
“They had injured one Hamza Ibrahim while moving out of the village with the kidnapped women, many of whom were housewives. The injured was rushed to a facility where he is receiving medical attention,” he stated.
Governor Nasir el-Rufai reportedly commended the fighter jet crew, and thanked them for their swift response.
MEANWHILE, stakeholders in agriculture have canvassed better security for farmers in Taraba State to ensure food security. To achieve this, they urged the relevant authorities to recruit additional security personnel to protect farmers in their farms.
During a dialogue yesterday at the Multipurpose Hall of the Catholic Cathedral along Mile Six in Jalingo metropolis, they believed that the suggestion, if adopted, would help boost food production in the state and the nation.
The meeting, which was at the instance of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)’s Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) supported by the United Nations, brought together agriculture stakeholders, traditional and religious leaders, Civil Society Organisations (CSO) among others.
IFAD State Programme Coordinator (SPC) in Taraba, lrimiya Musa, said the dialogue was in preparation for the planned Food Systems Summit by UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, adding that all UN member states had been directed to engage stakeholders on national food systems dialogue in preparation for the forthcoming UN exercise.
A deputy director from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Abuja, who was the project coordinating unit, Buba Gwadabe, expressed dismay at the high rate of stunted children in the country.
