Farmers across 13 communities in Gurdi Ward of the Abaji Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have abandoned their farms due to the invasion of the area by bandits and kidnappers.

Communities such as Rafindaji, Gulida and Paikon-Bassa sharing boundaries with neighbouring Niger State, through the River Gurara, had in recent times been under attack, where some villagers were abducted and two vigilantes killed by bandits.

According to Aso Chronicle, people in the 13 communities of Paikon-Bassa, Gulida, Madani, Anguwa Dauda, Kwatakomi, Gwanda, Baribari, Shadadi, Chakumi, Tugudu, Kambu, Dogonruwa and Rafindaji have abandoned their farming activities as a result of the presence of bandits.

Some of the farmers said they could no longer go to their farms and their wives no longer fetched firewood over fear of being kidnapped.

A farmer in Rafindaji, Dauda Yakubu, said he could no longer go to his farm after two of his relatives who were harvesting yam were abducted two weeks ago, noting that they were recently released after a N5m ransom.

The Village Head of Gulida, Abubakar Sadauna, said the incessant kidnapping had caused nightmares to his people.

He said the bandits mostly targeted farmers working on their farms and those conveying crops to neighbouring village markets in Niger State.

The District Head of Gurdi, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, also expressed concern over the activities of the bandits and kidnappers in the area, saying they crossed through the River Gurara to abduct farmers on their farms.

He, therefore, appealed to the FCT authorities to synergise with the Niger State Government to tame the activities of the bandits and kidnappers.

The spokespersons of the FCT and Niger State Police Commands, Adeh Josephine and Wasiu Abiodun respectively, were unreachable as at the time of filing this report.