The six-year losses of sorghum, maize, beans and groundnuts; had been
guaranteeing food security and incomes of displaced farmers.
The affected farmers are currently taking refuge at Internally
Displaced Persons (IDP) camps of Bakassi, Gubio and Dalori in
Maiduguri metropolis, the state capital.
The decade long insurgency; has forced many farmers, including women
and children to flee from 18 councils to take refuge at the three
camps.
Abubakar Sugun, a 52- year old farmer from Kukawa council taking
refuge at Gubio IDP camp, yesterday (Friday) said: “Boko Haram has not
only killed my relations and friends, but torched our house and
farmlands with crops yet to be harvested.
“We had no option than to flee for safety in 2014 with my wife and
five children to Maiduguri IDP camp.”
Sugun, who spoke in Hausa lamented that he cannot go back to Kukawa to
cultivate an eight-acre farmland, because of insecurity in the farming
communities of Lake Chad Basin.
He said before fleeing to Maiduguri, he had been producing millet,
maize and beans to feed his family and generate income from sold
harvested grains.
Asked how many bags of grains could have been harvested in the last
six years, while taking refuge at the Gubio IDP camp.
He said: “Before Boko Haram struck Kukawa town in April 2014, I had
been producing maize, beans and millet.
“And from each harvested crop, we annually threshed minimum total of
55 bags of grains.
“This enabled us to sustain our lives by rearing goats, sheep and
chicken before Boko Haram chased us from our farming communities that
extends into Lake Chad,” warning that the IDPs in camps cannot return,
because of insecurity to lives and property not only Kukawa town, but
the entire Lake Chad region.
At Bakassi IDP camp, the story was not different, as Fadmatu Musa, an
IDP household farmer from Gwoza and mother of seven children told The
Guardian that each year; before insurgency in 2013, she produces 24
bags of groundnuts, beans and sesame seeds from seven acres of
farmland.
According to her, taking refuge in Bakassi camp for safety for over
five years; has resulted into loss of 120 bags of harvested grains.
She explained that each year, before the Boko Haram crises, 18 bags of
grains were produced then.
“But this is not possible now, as we’re still living in camps and
continue to fend on petty trading and selling of firewood to feed my
children.
“Humanitarian agencies and Borno State Emergency Management Agency
(SEMA) also distribute food items on a monthly basis to 13, 464 female
household farmers in camp.”
She further disclosed that in the last six years, farmers in Gwoza and
other Local Government Areas of Bama, Monguno, Dikwa and Pulka cannot
produce crops, because of insecurity in both communities and
farmlands.
“The insurgents slaughter us, once we attempt to work on our
farmlands,” she said; adding that for the last six years; the 6,664
female IDP farmers are yet to return to our ancestral homes.”
While lamenting on lost crops, Abubakar Musa, 59, an IDP household
farmer from Pulka, and a border community with Cameroon, said that for
the last six years in Bakassi camp, he had lost 240 bags of sorghum,
beans and groundnuts to Boko Haram terrorists.
He said each year, before the insurgency commenced in August 2014; he
had been producing 40 bags of beans, groundnuts and sorghum from 10
acres of farmlands.
He noted that even though it may take about a year to return, he may
not have the ‘energy and confidence’ to continue farming, as most IDP
male and female farmers have exhausted their resources to procure farm
inputs pick up their lives.
In a breakdown of IDP household farmers in camps, Ibrahim Salihu, the
Camp Manager of Bakassi, disclosed that there are 6,664 male household
farmers and 13,464 female household farmers as at yesterday’s
(Thursday).
He said the displaced farmers are from Marte, Monguno, Nganzai,
Guzamala and Gwoza Local Government Areas.
The Camp Manager of Gubio IDP camp, Musa Sembe, also said that he
recorded 16,600 household farmers displaced from Gubio, Bama, Ngala,
Kala/Balge, Marte, Gwoza, Kukawa, Konduga, Abadam and Monguno.
While Dalori IDP camp manager, Babagana Baba, added that about 20,000
displaced farmers from Bama and Monguno Councils and Baga town; are
yet to return to their communities over insecurity to lives property.
