The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Friday said it would deploy about 5000 personnel from its Agro-Rangers Unit to protect farmers and their investment from attacks by criminals, especially kidnappers.
The Commandant-General of the corps, Abdullahi Muhammadu, disclosed this at a news conference in Maiduguri.
Muhammadu said the deployment was to forestall attacks on farms and to boost farmers’ confidence in carrying out their activities without fear.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the NSCDC Agro Rangers Unit is an initiative of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Obge and his Interior counterpart, Abdulrahman Dambazau.
He explained that the establishment of the unit followed the recommendation of a committee headed by the Director, Joint Services in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Noah Auta, which was inaugurated in 2016 as a result of the farmers and herders clashes.
Gana said that the 5000 armed personnel were trained by the Nigerian Army on weapon handling and were set to be deployed to guard farms and ranches.
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