INVESTIGATION: Government’s ‘Food Project’ Throws Farmers Into Misery In Niger Community

Governor Umar Bago’s plan to boost food production has led to the destruction of farmlands in different communities of Niger State without compensation, leaving thousands of farmers in financial limbo.

 Yahaya Mohammed is a farmer in Gidan Gwari community of Wushishi in Niger State. He has two wives and 12 children, and is among hundreds in the community who registered as farmers and pay annually to renew the use of government land. They used to pay N200 in the past but it increased to N5000.

This year, he spent over N300,000 to cultivate the land and buy seedlings and fertilizer. But one day in September, forestry officials from the Ministry of Agriculture came to the community with bulldozers and tractors to destroy his guinea corn and maize farm where he expected to make millions of naira after harvest.

But now he can no longer feed his family because the state government has evicted him from his farm and destroyed his yields. He has nothing left.

According to him, government officials just came to the village one day to claim the farmland. “They didn’t say anything to us and our crops germinated well. We put in fertilizer. We stood looking at them, destroying our crops but could not do anything,” he said, almost in tears while explaining how he lost his guinea corn and maize farm.

“Nothing was said to us. If we were told not to farm there, we would not waste our money.  The land belongs to the government. Since the land has been there, the government has not come to farm there. We met our parents there. I still felt it in my body because I can’t feed my families”, the father of many said.

Now Mohammed is begging the government to give his family means of sustenance. “I used all my resources from shop to farm. We will be happy if they either pay or give us food, we will be grateful,” he said.

Evicted Farmers Cry Out

The farmer is among thousands of farmers facing the harsh realities of Bago-led administration’s policies.

Mohammed is not the only farmer facing the brunt of eviction from Gidan-Gwari village. Shuaibu Yusuf is among evicted farmers who had taken this reporter to the various farmlands seized from farmers.

The loss of his crops still sketches misery on his face as he finds it difficult to repay the loans he took to cultivate his farm. He has two wives and 19 children.

Since his sudden eviction from the farmland, his dream of harvest had completely vanished.  “I took a loan for fertilizer worth N900,000 and it is now a debt for me to repay,” he told THE WHISTLER.

The farmer further revealed that he paid N6000 to government officials to spare his farm so he can repay the loans he took, but it didn’t help him. They took his money and still took his farm.

“If I can’t repay the loan. I’m sure I will be arrested”, Yusuf said, lamenting who would feed his family.

The development pushed the villagers into violence against officials which prompted the state to deploy more security operatives to the village to finally destroy farmers’ crops before their eyes.

“They came with security officials to destroy our crops. We have spent over 26 years in the village, farming. We pay to obtain foam from forestry officials”, the aggrieved farmer told this reporter.

When THE WHISTLER checked the farmlands seized from the farmers, they had been converted to government farms for by the state government for the “Niger Food Farm” project.

Ibrahim Abubakar, the village head of Gidan Gwari, is also among evicted farmers in the state. His three hectares of land were also seized for the Niger Food project.

“I made an effort to meet the commissioner of Agric but they made no effort to compensate us”, he told THE WHISTLER, claiming that even the forestry officials in his village had no idea of their eviction.

While taking over their farmlands, Abubakar said the state officials offered to compensate them with fertilizer supply!

“How can our crops be destroyed and you’re given us fertilizers, where are we going to use the fertilizers? He asked, adding that they rejected the offer and the officials never came back again.

Same Story Across The State

In Wushishi town, another farming community in the state, farmers are also counting their losses after state officials took over their farmlands. Hussaini Isah, who farms maize and guinea corn on three hectares, has turned to a labourer after he lost his far.

The once-rich farmer now weeds for other farmers in order to provide for his family. He claimed to have spent over N2 million on his farm that was destroyed by the government.

But so far, what remained for the farmer are his working tools and paper sold to them by the officials. “Nothing was said to us before they evicted us. My Maize and Guinea corn crops that I planted were destroyed’, he told THE WHISTLER, in his house in Wushishi.

Several farmers interviewed in Tegina, an  agrarian community in Rafi Local Government narrated similar tales of forceful dispossession of their farmlands by government officials.  

The monarch of the town, Tanimu Bako, disclosed that many of his subjects, including himself, have lost their farmlands to the Niger Food project.

“This year, I spent over N100,000 preparing the farm alone but the government confiscated them without warning and compensation. We have been farming in the land for over 30 years,” the monarch said.

According to him, his subjects face an uncertain future after the government seized their farmlands without notice, leaving them with nothing to feed their families with.

Now the monarch is afraid that his subjects may soon desert the village to other communities to fend for themselves. “I don’t want to lose my people. This village will disappear, and we built everything here. We call on the government for justice, accountability, and to support us as farming is our pride”, the monarch said.

Hope Dashed As Promise To Farmers Neglected

According to a report, governor Umar Bago had promised not to evict individuals farming on government or individual land to further boost agricultural production in the state but he neglected his promise.

Findings by THE WHISTLER show many farmers in rural communities of Rafi, Wushishi, Kontagora and Mariga Local Government Area were forcefully displaced from the lands which serve as means of livelihood to them.

“We Are Aware of The Situation”—Leader of Niger Farmers’ Association

Shehu Galadima, the chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Niger State Chapter, told THE WHISTLER that he is aware of the situation in Wushishi and Kontagora, claiming that the affected victims were settled.

He claimed that he was not aware of the situation in communities of Rafi and Mariga, urging further that THE WHISTLER should confirm details from the Emir of Kagara.

“I knew of a few cases where they went and destroyed things that were a big problem. But that one was also known but I don’t know whether they have compensated them back because the farmers didn’t complain to me,” he said.

Governor Bago Denies Allegation

Mohammed Dagachin, the secretary of Niger Food Security Company, said he was not authorized to speak for the company.

But in a whatsapp chat with this reporter, Governor Bago said the allegations were not true. “Where? What location? Which LGA? Evicted by who,” he asked.

When told about the farmers’ plight, he said “Not true. It’s a lie.”