Gunmen Kill 17 Farmers in Nigeria as Insecurity Threatens Food Production

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Lagos: Gunmen killed at least 17 farmers and injured five others in Nigeria's northwestern Zamfara state on Friday, highlighting the growing threat armed groups pose to farming communities during the country's planting season.

According to local officials and residents, the attackers disguised themselves as visitors before opening fire on farmers working in fields in Goron Namaye village in Maradun district. Three of the injured victims were reported to be in critical condition.

Authorities and residents said the assault may have been carried out in retaliation for the killing of 13 suspected bandits by local vigilantes following an earlier attack on the community.

The latest violence has deepened fears over food security in Africa's most populous nation, as many farmers across northern Nigeria abandon their land due to persistent attacks by armed groups involved in kidnapping, cattle rustling and extortion.

The incident came days after 39 community elders from the same district were kidnapped while attempting to negotiate a peace agreement that would allow residents to safely return to their farms.

The International Monetary Fund has warned that worsening insecurity in Nigeria could hurt economic activity and further aggravate poverty and food shortages across the country.

Pic Credit: AFP/ File Image