MAKURDI — A farmer in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State has reportedly been forced to abandon his farm after suspected bandits demanded N500,000 before allowing him to access and harvest his crops.
The farmer, whose identity was withheld, is a resident of Mbagena Council Ward in Katsina-Ala, where suspected local bandits have allegedly been terrorising residents and imposing ransom demands.
His son, a 300-level student of Benue State University, John James, disclosed this at the weekend while narrating his family’s ordeal at a capacity-building workshop organised by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in Makurdi.
The workshop focused on promoting safety and security rights, accountability and access to justice.
James said his father, who combines farming with public service, was attacked in his home about two weeks ago by suspected bandits who demanded N500,000.
According to him, the attackers initially gave his father three days to raise the money but later extended the deadline to one week after he explained that he could not immediately raise the ransom because he had not harvested his farm produce.
James said his father had planned to harvest groundnut, beniseed, soyabean and other crops to raise the money demanded by the attackers.
“About two weeks ago, terrorists invaded his compound in the night where he was sleeping alongside my mother after work. They charged him to pay a ransom of N500,000. My father pleaded with them because there was nothing at the moment. He had to plead with them for our lives because contacting the security will only worsen the situation,” he said.
He said the attackers later returned to the house and abducted his mother, accusing the farmer of deliberately delaying payment.
According to him, the farmer was away attending a burial ceremony near Katsina-Ala town when the attackers arrived and took his mother away.
James said his mother was later released after one of the abductors pleaded for her freedom because she was crying and visibly distressed.
“She was freed but not without being tortured. As I talk to you now, my mother is suffering emotionally and physically from the pains she suffered in the course of the torture,” he said.
He said his father subsequently rallied friends and relatives and raised N200,000, which he delivered to the bandits at midnight on Thursday.
However, according to James, the payment only enabled his father to harvest some of his crops, as the attackers demanded an additional N300,000 before allowing him to return to the farm.
“When my father returned and handed them the money, they said it was not enough, that he has to complete it to N500,000 before he would be allowed to harvest anything from his farm,” he said.
The student said the continued threats had forced his father to flee the area, leaving his remaining crops unharvested.
“They are still threatening my father for the remaining amount and he is on the run for fear of the unknown. He can’t go back to harvest everything now until he gets all the money,” James added.
He alleged that the suspected bandits were moving freely within the community and that some of them were known to residents.
“These people are moving freely in our vicinity and they are local bandits. In fact, some of them are known to the villagers because they are from the same community,” he said.
James said his father’s experience was not an isolated case, alleging that residents had suffered repeated attacks, theft and intimidation.
He said the latest incident was the first time his father had been asked to pay ransom specifically to access his farm, although he had previously been attacked and had his money and goods taken away.
“Other villagers suffer similar fate regularly. However, it’s the first time my father is being charged ransom for harvest. But he had been attacked several times where his money and goods were carted away,” he said.
The student also expressed concern over what he described as residents’ reluctance to report attacks to security agencies, alleging that some villagers who attempted to seek police intervention were subsequently targeted.
“The villagers hardly report to police because those who attempted were killed by the bandits,” he alleged.
The SERAP workshop provided a platform for community members to share experiences of insecurity and discuss ways of demanding accountability, accessing justice and understanding their rights regarding safety and security.
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