The House of Representatives has called on the federal government to establish a special task force to address the security challenges in the Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Constituency with a mandate to protect the lives and property of the farmers.
The House 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 peasant farmers and their farms.
The Green Chamber further urged security agencies to intensify intelligence gathering and surveillance activities in the constituency to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of attacks on farmers.
The resolution of the House was sequel to the adoption of a motion moved at the plenary on Tuesday by Hon. Ahmed Jaha.
Moving the motion, Jaha decried the continuous killing of peasant farmers in the Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Constituency.
He said the farmers in his constituency, who work tirelessly to provide food for the nation, are facing grave threats to their lives, hindering their ability to harvest their hard-earned farm produce.
He noted the House cannot afford to overlook the constant attacks on the farmers, adding that the 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.
Jaha expressed worry that 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.
He stressed that this not only leads to financial losses for the farmers but also exacerbates the food insecurity situation in the constituency and the country as a whole.
The lawmaker said: “Acknowledging the efforts of the security agencies in combating insurgency and terrorism in our constituency, we must recognise 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.
“Realising that the killing of peasant farmers goes beyond a local issue and has broader implications for national security, as it directly impacts our food production and the stability of our nation. It is imperative that we prioritise the safety of our farmers, who toil day and night to provide food for our nation, and
“The security agencies should intensify intelligence gathering and surveillance activities in the constituency to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of attacks on farmers.”
The lawmaker added that government should provide financial assistance and support to affected farmers who have suffered losses due to attacks, to help them recover and sustain their agricultural activities.