Farmers in Augie Local Government Area of Kebbi State have been thrown into panic following threats by suspected terrorists from the Lakurawa group, ordering them to abandon mechanised farming methods and return to using cattle or face deadly consequences.
Reports from the region suggest that the group issued a chilling warning: any farmer found using tractors or other modern equipment would be executed. This development has left many residents in fear, especially as several of them had recently started using machines due to the frequent theft of their cattle.
According to security analyst Zagazola Makama, the threat is not an empty one. He reported that the message was spread across numerous villages in Augie LGA.
“Now, the terrorists are dictating how we should farm. They forbid us from using machines. When we use cattle, they seize them. We’re farming both for sustenance and commercial purposes,” a source told DAILY POST.
An intelligence officer in the region also noted that the threat was credible and had already begun to affect farming activities. Some residents have stopped using machines, while others are considering abandoning their farms entirely if help does not come soon.
The community, which has long struggled with insecurity and cattle rustling, is now caught between fear and survival. In April, a violent attack in Morai village claimed the lives of 13 vigilante members who were ambushed by armed men believed to be from the same Lakurawa group.
They had been attempting to recover stolen animals when the gunmen struck.
