Farmers along Maiduguri- Damboa-Biu Road on the outskirts of Maiduguri on Thursday appealed to the military for an upward review of the timeframe allowed them to work on their farms.
Many who spoke with Newsmen in Maiduguri said the 11a.m. to 4p.m. timeframe allowed them should be expanded and the number of farmers allowed increased.
“Security personnel issue passes to limited number of farmers daily and without the pass, no farmer can access his or her farm.
“What we want is for more farmers to be allowed and for the timeframe to be expanded so that farmers can go to farms between 8a.m. and 6p.m.,’’ Abdullahi, a farmer said.
Abdullahi, however, commended the security operatives for improved security in area.
He said the best way to celebrate the improving security situation and facilitate the return to normalcy was to relax the tight security as conditions improved.
Another farmer, Malam Modu, said farmers were disturbed by the fact that herdsmen grazed cattle on their farms and in their absence, particularly during harvests.
“We are told to vacate the farms by 4p.m. but wonder how sometimes some herdsmen are left behind to graze cattle on our crops.
“When there is restriction on farming activities, grazing should be restricted also; there should be no scared cow,’’ Modu insisted.
Babagoni, Haruna and Lazarus, three other farmers noted that on another route, the Maiduguri-Damaturu Road, military personnel allowed farming to begin at 7 a.m. and should apply the same to the Maiduguri-Biu route.
They urged for regular meetings between security personnel and farmers to reach a common ground.
“Security personnel sometimes gave farmers short notice to conclude their harvests and in the process many harvested unripe crops,’’ Haruna noted.
A security personnel who spoke on condition of anonymity said all measures put in place were to safeguard the interests of the farmers.
“Some months back nobody dared to farm in this area; but with improved security situation, many are allowed to access their farms, but with some restrictions.
“Farmers should exercise patience. With time everything will be better for all of us,’’ he said.