“Killing of rural farmers will lead to hunger” - Christian Association of Nigeria

Continuous killing of rural farmers will lead to hunger in the country, the northern chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said on Monday.

Yakubu Pam, its chairman, said this in Jos on Monday during an interview with NAN on the sidelines of a regional delegates’ conference of the association.

“Farmers are killed on the fields and this has forced them to abandon the farms; hunger is imminent in the country if nothing is done about this,” he said.

He called for special protection for farmers, saying farmers are vulnerable to attacks because their farms are normally in forests. Pam also drew government’s attention to the constant abduction of young girls, and appealed for special security for those in the villages.

“We have also observed that girls in the northern part of the country are being withdrawn from schools and forced into marriage,” he said.

“The association is taking a deeper look into that menace and will come out with suggestions on ways to check the trend. Our youths must resort to farming to cushion the current economic hardship; doing nothing is very dangerous.”

According to Pam, the delegates’ conference, themed ‘Peace and Unity in the Body of Christ’, was convened to buttress the need for unity in the church.

“Without love and unity, no human or spiritual community can survive, including the church. Unity of believers from different backgrounds is crucial,” he said.