Terrorists suspected to be affiliated with the Lakurawa group have allegedly threatened farmers in Kebbi State’s Augie Local Government Area, cautioning them against substituting mechanised farming equipment for traditional cattle-driven farming practices.
Zagazola Makama, a security analyst, reported that the terrorists threatened to kill anyone caught farming with mechanised tools instead of cattle. Residents of the impacted towns, many of whom had started switching to modern farming methods in reaction to the persistent cattle rustling in the area, are now afraid for their lives and in a panic as a result of the warning.
“Now, the terrorists are dictating how we should farm,” a local source was quoted as saying. “They forbid us from using machines. When we use cattle, they seize them. We’re farming both for sustenance and commercial purposes.”
According to reports, an intelligence source also confirmed the threats adding that they were real and spread throughout a number of Augie LGA villages. People in the community are now calling for help from the government and military.
The same terrorists group has allegedly been responsible for numerous attacks and widespread cattle rustling in the area. During a failed attempt to retrieve stolen livestock in April, alleged Lakurawa gunmen ambushed at least 13 vigilantes in Morai village, also in Augie LGA, killing them.
When reached, Nafiu Abubakar, Kebbi State’s Police Public Relations Officer, assured that an investigation into the incident would be launched.
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