The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Friday warned the insecurity in the South-West is a serious threat to food security in the region.

The warning was contained in a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan by the National Publicity Secretary of the organisation, Jare Ajayi.

The Yoruba organisation lamented the incessant attacks on – and kidnapping of – farmers and other innocent citizens in the region, citing the killing of a female farmer in Ondo State, the abduction of a 33-year old poultry farmer, Mr. Ooreoluwa Osonuga in Ikenne, Ogun State, killings of four farmers in Okeogun area of Oyo State, abduction of Honourable Debo Farounbi in Ora, Osun State and others.

“Abductors of the latter, Farounbi, who was kidnapped on June 9, 2026, have refused to release him despite the payment of N30 million according to sources. They are even asking for more money and motorcycles”, Ajayi said, adding that there were several of such incidents in various parts of Yorubaland and elsewhere in Nigeria that are unreported.

According to him, in June this year, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) disclosed that “persistent abductions of farmers, farm workers and agribusiness investors in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states had discouraged investment, reduced agricultural productivity and endangered the livelihoods of thousands of farming families” according to newspapers’ reports on June 9, 2026.
“Many farmers now abandon their farms due to fear of abduction, ransom demands and violent attacks,” the group said.
An earlier report by the Guardian indicated that banditry and herders’ attacks have reduced agricultural-related activities in some parts of Yorubaland by about 40 per cent.

Afenifere spokesman revealed that during recent visits to Oke ogun area and northern part of Oyo and Ondo States respectively, some people lamented that they have abandoned their farms for three major reasons.

Continuing, Ajayi said: “One is fear of being kidnapped, second is the serious fall in prices that farmers could sell their proceeds as middlemen/middle-women (known as ‘Onibaranda’) are standing between them and direct purchasers while the third reason is grazing on farmlands by unscrupulous herders that have not stopped despite several lamentations, warnings and steps taken.

“A prominent farmer in Ondo State, Dr Eddy Olafeso, who owns 10 hectares of land, on which he produces cassava, cocoa, yam, plantain and other crops, lamented that he had abandoned his farmland mainly “because of insecurity”.

“Mallam Shitu Kabir, President, Cowpea & Beans Farmers Association of Nigeria and Vice President of Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association stated that production of these commodities have dropped by almost 70 per cent at least in the north.

“Research reports by some local and international bodies like the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Bank among others also indicated how regional insecurity has deeply altered agricultural practices in our regions including the Southwest”.

According to the Afenifere spokesman, a former chairman of the Ondo State Agricultural Commodities Association (OSACA), Olugbenga Obaweya, also harped on the risks that insecurity constitutes. To him, the difficulty in practicing farming safely not only put food production at risks but also stands the chance of heightening unemployment as a lot of people who are engaged in agricultural related businesses may be forced out of business. The situation will lead to higher prices of farm produce and perhaps increase criminal activities.

“A June 18, 2026 report by Punch newspaper revealed that violent conflicts across the northern part of the country are deepening poverty and weakening the ability of households to recover from economic shocks. The paper which based its report on a finding titled “Insecurity, Livelihoods and Welfare in Northern Nigeria,” identified major forms of insecurity affecting the region as farmer-herder conflicts in the North-Central, and banditry and kidnapping in the North-West”.

Ajayi asserted that the reports from various parts of the country are painting a picture of bleak for agricultural practices and risks of hunger in the coming months if insecurity is not quickly put in check.

He noted that, “This was why the Yoruba socio-political body lauded President Bola Tinubu on his latest directive that a comprehensive National Threat Assessment and a rolling five-year Strategic Defence Operations Plan be formulated within 90 days for the purpose of strengthening coordination across Nigeria’s defence, intelligence and security capabilities. The body again commended the authorities and security agencies for the recent rescue of abducted students and teachers in Oyo and Borno States and urged them to deploy the same sagacity to rescue those still in captivity and prevent a reoccurrence.

“Among the multi-layered formulae given by Afenifere for resolving banditry in Nigeria were a combination of robust military action, tighter border control, strong community policing, a stoppage to the incentives that are driving kidnapping as well as the need for communities, security agencies and people in authorities to work on their members who may be abetting bandits in one way or the other.
” Other steps suggested to be worked upon are economic reforms to enhance purchasing power of the people, reduction in high costs of items and services as well as ensuring that greater attention is paid to the seeming ‘ungoverned spaces’ while stringent sanctions are brought much more quickly upon those caught in the act of banditry”.

While calling on the authorities at every level to buckle up in this respect, Afenifere spokesman specifically called on governors in the six states in the southwest to work on: “the establishment of State Police, strengthen Amotekun by, among others, increase its personnel, provide it with modern communication tools, operational vehicles and surveillance drones; enforce anti-open grazing laws; form specialized rangers’ units to clear and patrol thick forest reserves being used by criminals as hideouts; integrate local hunters and vigilante groups into information-sharing networks and the encouragement of modern ranching”.