From: Gyang Bere, Jos
Farmers in North Central geo-political zone of Nigeria have petition the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, over food security and constant maltreatment of truck drivers, conveying agricultural products to different parts of the country by suspected hoodlums aided by security officers.
Coordinator, Nigeria Association of Agricultural Product Dealers, North Central zone, Dr. Jonah Ogbaji, disclosed this, in Jos, during the stakeholders meeting of the Association and said it has become necessary for farmers to petition the police for adequate food security in the country.
“We have petition the Inspector General of Police over the constant harassment and maltreatment of truck drivers in the North Central by suspected hoodlums. This attitude has an implication on our food security if security personnel did not take drastic measure to checkmate the menace.
“Some of the hoodlums stop truck drivers conveying food to different parts of the country to extort them through multiple taxation and levies, intimidation and harassment of members and destruction of agricultural products on the high way.”
He said adequate security should be provided for farmers who travel with their products for sell, adding that farmers in the north central are ready to submit their vehicles for inspection and will only pay levies at the point of loading and offloading.
Dr. Ogbaji lamented how a truck driver was battered by suspected hoodlums in Benue State and was hospitalised while his car and agricultural products were destroyed.
Desk officer, National Implementation Committee on the curtailment of Cattle rustling, North Central Zone, SP Yahaya Usman said nine hoodlums who extort drivers on the highway were arrested and and taken to Abuja for investigation and would be arraign in court very soon.
SP Usman, who represented the Inspector General of Police at the meeting said adequate security would be provided for truck drivers conveying agricultural product to guarantee food security in the country.