By Folayimika Akanbi
The Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Kwara State, Abbas Nda Mohammed, said the protection of agricultural communities requires continuous engagement and cooperation among farmers, herders, community leaders and security agencies.
He made this known in Ilorin on Thursday while declaring open a one-day community sensitisation and dialogue programme organized toward preventing farmer-herder conflicts and strengthening security in rural communities.
The programme, at the instance of the Agro-Rangers Unit of the state command of the NSCDC was themed “Community Sensitisation on Agricultural Security and Conflict Prevention in Kwara State.”
Mohammed, in a statement issued through the Public Relations Officer of the command, Ayoola Michael Shola, urged farmers and herders to maintain peaceful relations and resolve disputes through dialogue, while calling on community members to report early signs of conflict and other security concerns to the appropriate authorities.
The commandant also highlighted the role of the Corps’ specialised Agro-Rangers Unit, saddled with providing security support for agricultural communities, protecting farmlands and investments, and supporting efforts to prevent and address farmer-herder conflicts.
The engagement brought together farmers, herders, community leaders, Agro-Rangers personnel and other stakeholders to discuss challenges affecting agricultural communities and practical ways of preventing conflicts.
The event, which featured interactive session, offered the participants the opportunity to share their experiences and raise concerns about security and other challenges affecting their communities.
Issues raised include the need for better communication, early intervention in disputes and stronger cooperation between communities and security agencies.
The concerns were addressed during the engagement, with stakeholders discussing practical approaches to improving peaceful coexistence, protecting agricultural activities and preventing disputes from escalating into violence.
Other speakers at the programme also called for greater community participation, timely information sharing and peaceful resolution of disputes.
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