Farmers in Hinna community, Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State, are counting their losses after a herd of hippopotamuses invaded and destroyed farmlands in the area on Tuesday night.
The affected farmers, who spoke in separate interviews on Thursday, said the animals rampaged through their farms, destroying crops that were mostly due for harvest. They described the incident as a serious threat to their livelihoods and food security in the community.
The head of farmers in Hinna community, Zakari Ladan, described the recurring attacks by the animals and the lack of government intervention as frustrating.
According to him, more than 17 farmlands covering about 14 hectares were affected, with crops such as maize, rice, tomatoes, pepper, watermelon, sweet melon, carrots, and okra destroyed.
Ladan estimated the total value of the losses at nearly N7 million, noting that many of the crops would have been harvested within days.
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“We are tired of these hippos coming out of the river to invade our farms, some of which are as far as two kilometres away,” he said. “This has become a yearly occurrence, and farmers have continued to suffer without meaningful assistance.”
He added that losing 14 hectares of crops in one night highlights the growing population of hippos in the area and their negative impact on food security, calling for urgent intervention from the authorities.
A maize farmer, Mohammed Zengina, said he lost over one-and-a-half hectares of maize and other vegetables during the attack, estimating his loss at about N800,000.
Zengina said his crops were only weeks away from harvest and appealed to the state government for support, explaining that repeated attacks had made farming increasingly unsustainable.
Similarly, a cluster head of rice farmers in the community, Bello Mohammed, said rice farmers had contributed N150,000 monthly to engage hunters to guard their 20-hectare rice farms, but the arrangement failed to prevent the invasion.
Other farmers also narrated similar experiences, lamenting the persistent destruction of their farmlands by the animals.
Reacting to the incident, the Gombe State Commissioner for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Cooperatives, Dr Barnabas Malle, said the state government was aware of the development.
He disclosed that officials from the ministry had visited the affected areas to assess the level of damage and would submit a report to Governor Inuwa Yahaya for necessary action.
According to Malle, the government would analyse the findings to determine whether compensation would be paid or the matter referred to the State Emergency Management Agency for intervention.
He urged the affected farmers to remain patient, assuring them that the government was working to address the situation.