Growing Anxiety: Nigerian Farmers Turn to Armed Guards Amid Jihadist Threats

Thu Oct 23 2025 00:48:11 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In conflict-ridden Borno State, Nigerian farmers are compelled to seek protection from militants as violence escalates in their region. The government’s Agro Rangers program provides armed escorts for those who dare to work their fields, reflecting the dire state of security in North-Eastern Nigeria.

In the wake of increasing violence from jihadist groups like Boko Haram, Nigerian farmers in Borno State face the grim reality of farming under armed guard. As they seek to cultivate crops and sustain their families, armed Agro Rangers provide essential protection amidst fears of kidnapping and assault. Although efforts are being made to secure agricultural production, many remain skeptical about the long-term effectiveness of these measures.

As women water vegetables and uproot weeds in a rural corner of north-eastern Nigeria, men in uniform stand guard nearby holding huge rifles.

They are Agro Rangers - a special security unit set up by the government to defend farmers from militants from jihadist groups Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap), who can strike farms in Borno state at any time.

There is fear - we fear for our souls, Aisha Isa, 50, tells the BBC as she tends to her crops.

Because it is no longer safe for her family to live in the home they fled 11 years ago, she and many others like her are bussed into Dalwa village from a pick-up point in the state capital, Maiduguri, early in the morning. It is less than an hour's drive away.

She now lives in temporary housing, and growing beans and maize remains the only way for her to feed her family, she says.

We will take the risk and come even if the rangers are not coming.

Here, the military has marked out a stretch of land, surrounded by clearly defined trenches, where people can plant their crops. If they venture beyond that border, the threat of Boko Haram looms large.

We have been hearing people are being kidnapped, says 42-year-old Mustapha Musa. Some are killed. That is why I'm scared and don't want to come without security protection.

The father of 10 says he left his village, Konduga, 13 years ago and will not resettle there until the government brings about lasting security.

In the 15 years since the Islamist insurgency began in north-eastern Nigeria, thousands of people have died and millions have been forced from their homes.

The number of people killed in targeted attacks on farmers this year has more than doubled since 2024, according to research by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (Acled) monitoring group.

Yet the governor of Borno state is speeding up the reintegration of displaced people from camps back onto the land - as part of his stabilisation agenda, and to counter disruptions in food production.

However, almost four million people face food insecurity across conflict zones in Nigeria's north-east, the UN warns. But some aid agencies say the move to relocate farmers to boost agriculture has moved too fast.

Kidnapped along with nine other farmers, Abba Mustapha Muhammed has seen first-hand what happens when victims do not pay up.

There was one that got killed because he couldn't pay the ransom. His family could not meet the time given, says Mr Muhammed.

Despite stories like these, Mohammed Hassan Agalama, the commander who leads the Agro Rangers scheme in Borno, insists that the guards deter militants from staging violent assaults.

While many farmers express dissatisfaction with existing protections and fear for their lives, authorities maintain that improvements are underway. The ongoing conflict continues to disrupt agriculture, leaving farmers in a precarious position as they navigate threats to their livelihoods.