Farmers in remote parts of Borno State want the military to provide them with adequate security to enable them harvest and evacuate their farm produce.

Babakura Lawal, Ward Head of Alau Ngafate community, who made this request on Wednesday, urged the army to increase its patrol and surveillance activities in the area.

Lawal said the demand became necessary following the number of farmers who had been killed or kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents while working on their farms.

“On Monday, Boko Haram insurgents attacked and beheaded two farmers while two others were still missing,” NAN quoted Lawal as lamenting.

“We are a farming community of about 5,000 people. We cultivated crops such as cassava, maize, sorghum, millet and vegetables. It is now time for harvest, but we cannot go to the farms for fear of the insurgents.”

Lawal gave the names of the deceased farmers as Madu Mustapha, 25, and Bulama Musa, 65.

Also speaking on the development, Abba Alau, the Councillor representing the area, added that the insecurity in the area had cost the farmers enormous losses as they could not harvest their crops.

Alau noted that hundreds of hectres of plantations were on the verge of perishing due to farmers’ inability to harvest.

“We call for deployment of military and other security personnel to the area. Alau is just five kilometres away from Maiduguri,” he said.

Boko Haram occupied vast areas of Borno State at the peak of the insurgency until 2015 when the military mounted a sustained counter attack, which has largely been sustained ever since.

However, the insurgents continue to mount series of surprise attacks and suicide bombings in remote villages of the state.