The upsurge activities of bandits in Katsina state which becomes a perpetual issue of discussion amongst people in the state and by extension in Nigeria is deteriorating and it seems to be ubiquitous as they keep attacking villages and killing numerous residents.
Hence, we can vividly remember one of the recent brutal attacked by these bandits in Kadisau village where they killed and injured many people in the village. We have heard how nearly 52 deceased persons were buried and numerous injured people that were hospitalized. Therefore, I may not go on and on mentioning the several attacks of these bandits because whoever listening or reading on what is happening will be aware of that or even more of what I will be saying.
To this light, I would like to talk on how global pandemic which is COVID 19 hurls the economy of the world into the deteriorated condition and Nigeria is not an exception because what would endanger the economy of the most powerful countries such as China, America and lots more will not exclude Nigeria and it can even throw her economic worse than those countries which will take them years to recover from that recession for the global pandemic. Hence, the economy of Nigeria is undergoing a serious crisis on account of the imposed lockdown which has hindered people from going to their daily business, and offices which made them spending what they have saved and more terrifying was how the pandemic claimed the jobs of many.
Meanwhile, the activities of these morons bandits are escalating especially in Katsina state and their attacks are always on the villages where they are killing people, rustling cattle, abducting innocents and raping women in the presence of their relatives whilst most of the affected people are farmers whose sources of income hinges on farming and now they had been displaced by the bandits.
As a consequence of that, most of the affected victims that their business is rearing cattle and rely on farming were now displaced to cities which forces many of them to be vagrants beggers on the street in order to survive. World food organization predicted that if good and proper care is not taken the world will experience insufficient food as a result of coronavirus.
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So now the people that are farming and rearing are always displaced and killed on a daily basis by bandits. Hence, I see it with my two eyes that there are no cattle use for plough in farming rather they are using motorcycles or hoe instead. Because in most of the affected areas as I confirmed by the farmers and also residents of the aftermath that most of the cattle are rustled by the bandits.
Based on the foregoing, if governments fold it’s arms without taking proper action in furtherance of agriculture in Katsina state only God knows in which calamity we may find ourselves ahead for the shortage of foods in the State for the doom-rooted severe activities of bandits.
Henceforth, no one could have a certainty to be going to a farm which is propinquity to the place where all these atrocities that are debilitating the economy of our state to be expected back to his home unscathed. In a meantime, our local farmers are complaining about the price of fertilizer which is unaffordable to many of them as its price hikes to sixteen thousand each bag, this brought about many of our farmers would not have the courage to farm this year even if they must its subsistence farming, not cash crop that will be selling to people after harvest.
Furthermore, the area that is farming seventy per cent of vegetables in Katsina state is Daudawa, the place has now turned almost under the control of kidnappers, no one dares to go to farm there because of the menace. I am not a soothsayer but those who are experts in economic analysis have foreseen how we might be in doom for this Gordian knot which is yet to be got rid of.
The gory operation of a bandit is silently debilitating our economy and hurling our people to mystery condition which if our leaders do not wake up from their long slumber the issue will be very difficult to address.
As I am moving to the direction of my conclusion, we call on the government to rescue the economy of our state especially agricultural sector which the dastard activities of bandits poses a significant threat on and save farmers from becoming vagrants that will be begging on the street and provides a a relief materials to cushion the effect of the banditry such as soft loans, pesticides, fertilizer and all necessary requirements to save Katsina from becoming a poor state for the reckless action of bandits in the state.
Umar Babangida writes from Bayero University, Kano.
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