A farmer in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State has been forced to abandon his farm after bandits demanded N500,000 ransom from him before allowing him to harvest his crops.

The farmer’s son, a university student who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said his father had already paid N200,000 to the bandits but was still being threatened over the balance.

He spoke to our correspondent on the sidelines of Socio-Economic Rights & Accountability Project (SERAP) capacity-building workshop on promoting safety and security rights, accountability and access to justice held on Saturday in Makurdi.

The undergraduate said that the bandits invaded his father’s compound in one of the villages of Mbagena Council Ward of Katsina-Ala LGA about two weeks ago while he and his wife (the student’s mum) were sleeping after returning from farm.

He said the attackers demanded N500,000 ransom, but his father pleaded with them, explaining that he could not raise the money within the short period because he was yet to harvest his groundnut, beniseed, soybean and other crops.

He said the bandits initially gave his father three days to pay the ransom but later extended the deadline to one week.

The student said the need to raise the money led his father to seek financial assistance from friends and relatives where he got part of the money before he could return to the farm to harvest some of his crops.

He said his father eventually raised N200,000 and delivered the money to the bandits at midnight last Thursday.

However, before the payment was made, the student said the bandits abducted his mother after becoming suspicious that the ransom was being delayed.

He said his father was away attending a burial near Katsina-Ala town when the bandits arrived at their home, took his mother away and accused the father of deliberately avoiding payment.

According to him, one of the abductors later pleaded that the woman be released after seeing her crying and appearing traumatised.

“She was eventually released, but not without being tortured. As I speak, my mother is suffering emotionally and physically from the pains she sustained during the torture,” he said.

The student said when his father returned and handed over the N200,000, the bandits rejected the money and insisted that he must complete the N500,000 before he would be allowed to return to his farm.

He said the continued threats had now forced his father into hiding, leaving some of his crops unharvested.

“They are still threatening my father over the remaining amount and he is on the run for fear of the unknown. He cannot go back to harvest everything now until he gets all the money. These people are moving freely around our vicinity and some of them are known to the villagers because they are from the same community,” he said.

He further disclosed that other residents had suffered similar attacks, adding that his father had previously been attacked several times, with his money and goods carted away.

He said it was, however, the first time his father was being forced to pay ransom before being allowed to harvest his farm produce and that he cannot attempt to bring the matter to the notice of security for fear of consequences on his family members.

The student also alleged that villagers rarely report such incidents to the police because some residents who had attempted to do so were allegedly killed by the bandits. (Daily Trust)