Follow Us on Google
From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has condemned the killing of 23 farmers by suspected armed bandits in Sauna District of Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State, warning that the continued attacks on farming communities threaten Nigeria’s food security and economic stability.
The group urged the Federal Government and security agencies to launch sustained, intelligence-driven operations against bandits and strengthen security around rural communities to prevent further bloodshed.
In a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, the CNG described the massacre as a tragic reminder of the worsening insecurity across Northern Nigeria and extended condolences to the bereaved families, the people of Sauna District and the Zamfara State Government.
According to the group, the victims were attacked while cultivating their farmlands, highlighting the growing danger faced by farmers during the peak of the farming season.
Charanchi said it was disturbing that armed criminals could invade farmlands in broad daylight, kill innocent farmers and escape without immediate consequences.
He warned that if farmers continued to abandon their farms because of insecurity, Nigeria would face declining agricultural production, worsening food shortages, rising food inflation, rural displacement and deeper economic hardship.
“The rainy season is the most critical period in our subsistence agricultural system, yet fear has replaced hope as farmers now face the impossible choice between cultivating their land and risking death at the hands of armed criminals,” he said.
The CNG called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies to intensify coordinated military and intelligence operations across Zamfara and other states battling banditry.
The group also urged the Zamfara State Government to deepen collaboration with federal security agencies, traditional rulers and local communities to improve intelligence gathering, surveillance and rapid response.
It further called for a permanent security presence around vulnerable farming communities, major farming corridors and rural access roads throughout the farming season to enable farmers cultivate their lands without fear.
The CNG also appealed to the government to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to affected families and ensure survivors receive adequate medical, psychological and economic support.
Charanchi stressed the need for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those behind the attack, warning that continued impunity was eroding public confidence in the country’s security system.
He maintained that protecting lives and property remained the government’s primary constitutional responsibility, insisting that every farmer killed represented not only a human tragedy but also a direct assault on Nigeria’s economy, food security and national stability.
“
