Food Crisis: Insurgents Now Killing Farmers, Looting Unripe Crops, Says Ndume 

* Begs military to rid Sambisa Forest of terrorists

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja 

A former Senate Chief Whip, who is representing Borno South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Ali Ndume, has raised the alarm that acute food crisis is looming in the country with the fresh attacks on farmers in most part of northern Nigeria.

Ndume, in a statement made available to journalists on Thursday in Abuja, also said the insurgents were also going from one farm to another to loot unripe crops.

He has therefore appealed to the military under the Theatre Command, North East ‘Operation Hadin Kai and other security agencies to rise up to the occasion.

He urged the military to intensify efforts geared towards clearing remnants of Boko Haram members still hibernating around Sambisa forest, Mandara mountains and other hideouts in border communities within Gwoza and the Republic of Cameroon.

The lawmaker said: “Pockets of attacks recently perpetrated by the terrorists are still posing serious economic setbacks to resilient farmers newly resettled in liberated communities of Ngoshe, Kirawa, Warabe, Wala, Pulka and even Gwoza town, the Council headquarters.

“The terrorists have resorted to the killing of farmers and looting of their unmatured crops without being provoked.

“I want to use this medium to appeal to the military and other security agencies to intensify more efforts aimed at clearing remnants of terrorists still hibernating in Sambisa Forest and parts of Mandara Mountains bordering Cameroon Republic and Nigeria.”

The former Chairman, Senate Committee on Army expressed his deep gratitude to Governor Babagana Umara Zulum for his extraordinary contributions to the development and rebuilding of about 10 Gwoza communities that were completely destroyed.

He also applauded the efforts and sacrifices made by the military in restoring civil authority in the area.

He specifically hailed the deployment of a medical doctor by the military authority, who is providing medical services on daily basis free of charge to over 10,000 Ngoshe people and its environs who have since returned to their ancestral homes.

Ndume, who distributed agricultural inputs such as fertiliser, insecticides, pesticides and cash to thousands of people, mostly genuine farmers, including women and youths, as well as provision of solar street lights, had a stopover in Warabe community.

He inspected the land designated for the construction of 500 housing units to resettle displaced persons of Warabe by Governor Zulum’s rebuilding initiative.

He expressed the community’s continued need for more development.

According to Ndume, “Like Oliver Twist, we may ask for more, but to be honest, Zulum has exceeded our expectations.”

The senator paid visits to families who had lost their loved ones recently, offering comfort and support during these challenging times, as a mammoth crowd welcomed him and his entourage in all the communities visited.

Ndume also distributed tricycles and other empowerment materials worth millions of naira to some people across the senatorial district at his Maiduguri residence.