By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Kwara State, Dr. Umar J. G. Muhammed, has reiterated the commitment of the Corps to ensuring the safety of farmers and boosting food security in the State.

The Commandant, who stated this at an interactive session with journalists at the Command headquarters in Ilorin, the state capital, said: “This is in line with the mandate given to the Agro Rangers Unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which is to boost food security by providing protection to farmers against malicious destruction of their farmlands, as well as addressing farmer-herder clashes.”

He disclosed that the Agro Rangers Unit has resolved no fewer than 196 cases of farmer-herder conflicts in the past one year, adding that the Agro Rangers personnel have been trained and certified in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms, allowing them to effectively mediate conflicts between itinerant herders and sedentary farmers across all 16 local government areas.

These efforts, Dr. Umar said, have significantly reduced farmer-herder and other communal clashes in the State, while emphasising that the Agro Rangers have been providing security to state-owned, corporate, and individual farmers, as well as protecting farmlands across the State.

He cited the strategic deployment of NSCDC personnel in Shonga Farm in Edu Local Government Area as a key example of the Corps’ commitment to security, adding that peasant farmers and agro-allied industries in the State are supported through continuous surveillance and routine patrols of agrarian communities.

Commandant Umar reaffirmed the Corps’ unwavering commitment to safeguarding the agricultural sector, ensuring the protection of farmers and their investments, and promoting sustainable growth within the State.