INTRODUCTION

The potential for terrorist attacks against agricultural production in Benue State (agro-
terrorism) is increasingly recognized as a national security threat, especially with the
prevailing recent attacks on rural farmers across the country, the contamination of
agricultural products, outbreak of animal diseases and it’s multiplying effects on human and
the economy at large. In this context, agro-terrorism is defined as the deliberate introduction
of an animal or plant disease with the goal of generating fear over the safety of food, causing
economic losses, and/or undermining social stability (Monke, 2007). The response to the
threat of agro-terrorism has come to be called “food defence.” An agro-terrorist event would
usually involve bio-terrorism, since likely vectors includes pathogens such as a viruses,
bacteria, or fungi (Shutske, (2009). People generally associate bio-terrorism with outbreaks of
human illness (e.g., anthrax or smallpox, chicken pox, monkey pox, Lassa fever, Ebola etc.),
rather than diseases affecting animals or plants. Agro-terrorism is a means to the end of
causing economic crises in the agricultural and food industries, social unrest, and loss of
confidence in government. According to Monke, (2007) human health could also be at risk
through contaminated food or pathogen (zoonotic). Farms are geographically dispersed in
unsecured environments (e.g., open fields). Livestock frequently are concentrated in confined
locations (e.g., feedlots with thousands of cattle in open-air pens, farms with tens of
thousands of pigs, or barns with hundreds of thousands of poultry) allowing diseases to infect
more animals quickly. Concentration in slaughter, processing also makes large scale
contamination possible.

IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE
Benue state is known to be the food basket of the nation. Some of the food we consumed in
FCT is produce from Benue. Agriculture among many others has contributed the following to
the development of the economy:
-Creation of jobs: Particularly important is the fact that residents of rural areas are provided
with jobs. Statistics of 2010 showed that 30% of the population were engaged in agriculture.
This indicator is constantly growing.
-Another important role of agriculture is a source of foreign currency, the most important for
most countries. This is mainly contributed by the export of cocoa and other cash crops.
-Diversification of the economy: As a result of the decline in oil prices, the current economic
situation can be considered the most suitable time for diversification. Nigeria has enough
natural and human resources. All that is needed is a serious investment in agriculture.
-Food security: Foodstuffs, their production, distribution, exchange, and consumption are
important parts of the functioning of the world system.
-Supplying other industries with raw materials: Cultivation of cotton, oil palm, and other
plants promotes the development of other industries that depend on these raw materials. For
instance, wool and yarn are derived from cotton.
-Agriculture has also contributed to Nigeria’s gross domestic product. As at January, 2018, it
was about N4,859,436.87 actual contributions similar to the performance report of January,
2017 as shown on the graph below.

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Figure 1: Contribution of agriculture to GDP

Table 1: Animal disease in the selected agent list

Disease Pathogen(s) Agent Mode of transmission

consuming raw and/or
Angiostrongylus undercooked snails, slugs,
cantonensis, other mollusks, crustaceans,
Angiostrongyliasis rats, cotton rats
Angiostrongylus monitor lizards, frogs and
costaricensis unwashed vegetables
contaminated with larvae
commonly – grazing
herbivores such as cattle, by ingestion, inhalation or skin
Anthrax Bacillus anthracis
sheep, goats, camels, contact of spores
horses, and pigs
Influenza A virus wild birds, domesticated
Bird flu close contact
subtype H5N1 birds such as chickens
Bovine spongiform
Prions cattle eating infected meat
encephalopathy
Brucellosis Brucella spp. cattle, goats infected milk or meat
rabbits, hares, rodents,
Bubonic plague, Pneumonic
Yersinia pestis ferrets, goats, sheep, flea bite
plague, Septicemic plague
camels
Bartonella henselae, bites or scratches from
Cat-scratch disease cats
Bartonella quintana infected cats
Clamydiosis / Enzootic Chlamydophila domestic livestock, close contact with postpartum
abortion abortus particularly sheep ewes
eating meat from animals with
Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob
PrPvCJD cattle bovine spongiform
disease
encephalopathy (BSE)
Cryptococcus commonly – birds like
Cryptococcosis inhaling fungi
neoformans pigeons
chimpanzees, gorillas,
Ebola virus disease (a fruit bats, monkeys, through body fluids, organs
Ebolavirus spp.
haemorrhagic fever) shrews, forest antelope and ticks
and porcupines

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Other haemorrhagic fevers varies (sometimes
(Marburg viral haemorrhagic unknown) – commonly infection usually occurs
Varies – commonly
fever, Lassa fever, Crimean- camels, rabbits, hares, through direct contact with
viruses
Congo haemorrhagic fever, hedgehogs, cattle, sheep, infected animals
[19]
Rift Valley fever ) goats, horses and swine
horses, pigs, domestic and
wild birds, wild aquatic
droplets transmitted through
Influenza Influenza A virus mammals such as seals
air
and whales, minks and
farmed carnivores
direct contact, including meat
Mycobacterium
consumption. However,
leprae, armadillos, monkeys,
Leprosy scientists believe most
Mycobacterium rabbits, mice[20]
infections are spread human to
lepromatosis
human.[21][20]
rats, mice, pigs, horses,
goats, sheep, cattle,
Leptospira direct or indirect contact with
Leptospirosis buffaloes, opossums,
interrogans urine of infected animals
raccoons, mongooses,
foxes, dogs
Orf Orf virus goats, sheep close contact
macaws, cockatiels,
budgerigars, pigeons,
Chlamydophila
Psittacosis sparrows, ducks, hens, contact with bird droplets
psittaci
gulls and many other bird
species
commonly – dogs, bats,
monkeys, raccoons, foxes,
skunks, cattle, goats, through saliva by biting, or
Rabies Rabies virus sheep, wolves, coyotes, through scratches from an
groundhogs, horses, infected animal
opossums, mongooses and
cats
mosquito bite, contact with
livestock, buffaloes, bodily fluids, blood, tissues,
Rift Valley fever Phlebovirus
camels breathing around butchered
animals and/or raw milk
ingestion of eggs in soil, fresh
Toxocara canis,
Toxocariasis dogs, foxes, cats or unwashed vegetables and/or
Toxocara cati
undercooked meat
exposure to cat feces, organ
transplantation, blood
transfusion, contaminated soil,
Toxoplasmosis Toxoplasma gondii cats, livestock, poultry water, grass, unwashed
vegetables, unpasteurized
dairy products and
undercooked meat
mosquito bite, sexual
chimpanzees, monkeys, intercourse, blood transfusion
Zika fever Zika virus
apes, baboons and sometimes bites of
monkeys
Source: Wikipedia

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Table 2: Plant diseases in in the selected agent list

Some viral and viroid diseases of plants

causative
disease hosts symptoms and signs additional features
agent
virus remains viable for
tobacco, tomato,
tobacco mottled appearance of years in soil and tobacco;
tobacco and hundreds of
mosaic virus leaves (mosaic pattern); the disease occurs
mosaic other vegetables
(TMV) dwarfing worldwide; significant
and weeds
economic losses can occur
cucumber, bean,
cucumber
cucumber tobacco, and other similar to those of TMV worldwide occurrence;
mosaic virus
mosaic plants (wide range infections very broad range of hosts
(CMV)
of hosts)
barley, oats, rye,
barley barley yellow
wheat; also yellowing and dwarfing of one of the most important
yellow dwarf virus
pasture grasses leaves; stunting of plants diseases of small grains
dwarf (BYDV)
and weeds
tomato tomato, pepper, leaves show concentric,
very wide host range;
tomato spotted wilt pineapple, peanut, necrotic rings; necrotic
infects hundreds of
spotted wilt virus and many other region yellow, then
different plants
(TSWV) plants turning red-brown
delayed foliation; leaves
prunus stone fruits—e.g., very widespread disease of
prunus on infected branches show
necrotic ring cherry, almond, stone fruits; affects almost
necrotic light green spots and dark
spot virus peach, apricot, all trees in fruit-producing
ring spot rings, then become
(PNRV) plum, and others regions
necrotic and fall off
stunted growth; tubers are the first identified viroid
potato potato spindle
spindle-shaped and infection in plants; can
spindle tuber viroid potato and tomato
smaller than healthy cause major reduction in
tuber (PSTV)
tubers crop yield
infected trees show
citrus orange, lemon, vertical splits in bark, thin
citrus
exocortis lime, and other strips of partially loosened
exocortis
viroid (CEV) citrus plants bark, and a cracked, scaly
appearance
Source: Wikipedia

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Figure 2: “Fulani herdsmen have killed over 1,500 farmers in 47 attacks”

Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Lawrence, O. (2018),who disclosed this at a

news briefing in Makurdi said, the victims were killed within four years particularly between
2013 and 2017 in Agatu, Guma, Kwande, Katsina-Ala, Logo, Ogbadibo, Gwer West,
Makurdi, Buruku, Gwer East and Ohimini local government areas of the state.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION

This study focuses primarily on the security of rural farmers and agricultural products in
Ohimini local government area of Benue State.

PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED

a. Threat and fear (to the general public and Rural farmers) created by herdsmen and
outbreak of animal disease such as Lassa fever and monkey pox.
b. Vulnerability (border security, farm security and agricultural products) because of
poor quarantine services.
c. Consequence of agro-terrorism (loss of rural livelihood, ill health, loss of lives,
shortage in food production, hunger, loss of confidence on the government, loss of
foreign investment).
d. Rural-urban migration and increased number of internally displaced persons.
e. Lack of capacity to monitor for potential agricultural pests and diseases.
f. Lack of expertise is in risk assessment practice and decision-making.

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 OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

 To proffer solution for the containment of nefarious herdsmen activities in the rural
and provision of security to lives and agricultural activities through establishment of
Farmers’ corps and agric police stations in Ohimini.
 To emphasize the need for hygienic condition of Ago-products through establishment
of research and quarantine centres in the area.
 To discourage Rural-urban migration and internal displacing of persons.
 To shed light on ways to secure agriculture.
 To provide capacity and expertise for monitoring and early risk detection.

BENEFICIARIES

The beneficiaries of this project are the rural farmers in Ohimini local government area of
Benue State and the general (public) consumers of agricultural products.

METHODOLOGY

We will implore a soft approach. An inclusive method that involves qualitative data
collection (interviews and focus groups discussions) to examine the perspectives of the cattle
heads, rural farmers, communities’ heads, NGOs and government institution representatives.

IMPLEMENTATION & Budget

It is a two (2) years project. Starting from July, 2018 to July, 2020.The implementation will
be in two phases: First, is the introductory part; it will start with interviews, focus group
discussion, sensitizations and awareness, education and training on animal and plant disease,
agents, contaminations, prevention and introduction to functional security devices. Followed
by the registration of all farms and owners, all cattle and owners, establishment of
quarantine/research and animal, plant laboratories, establishment of agric police/report
stations in the focus area, employment of farm/border security vigilantes, agric police
officers, quarantine, laboratory and research agric officers to all abattoirs and markets,
purchase and distributions of security devices and instalments on farms and homes, funding
would be a public private partnership between the state government and Nelson Mandela
Institution (NGO). The estimated costs of the project are as follow:

Recurrent Expenditures

S/ Description of Items Unit of Unit cost Quantity Total (₦)

N measurement (₦)
1 Focus group/community mobilization No. 500 300 150,000
2 Discussions/Registration/honorariums No. 1000 300 300,000
3 Education and trainings No. 3,000 300 900,000
4 Training of Quarantine/laboratory No. 150,000 15 2,250,000
scientists
5 Recruitment Farm/border vigilantes No. 80,000 60 4,800,000

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6 Recruitment Agric police officers No. 100,000 30 3,000,000
7 Bullet Camera pieces 900,000 9 8,100,000
8 Digital wireless systems pieces 234,000 15 3,510,000
9 Alarms Systems pieces 437,000 15 10,925,000
10 Repeat Radio Systems pieces 260,000 50 13,000,000
11 Indoor and outdoor camera pieces 87,480 100 8,748,000
Sub-total 55,683,000

Capital Expenditures

S/N Security Houses and Unit of Cost (₦) Quantity Total (₦)
Personnel measurement
1 Quarantine/Research/Labo No. 18,000,000 2 36,000,000
ratories
2 Mini research/agro testing No. 185,000 50 9,250,000
Machine
3 Vigilante post No. 3,000,000 4 12,000,000
4 Agric police station No. 15,000,000 3 45,000,000
building
5 Purchase of patrol vehicles No. 4,500,000 6 27,000,000
Sub-total 129,250,000

Total Capital+Recurrent 184,933,000

The implementation process also includes the following activities with expected responses as
thus:

Activities Response Measures

Intelligence measures (identify potential Early detection of exotic/foreign

threats; understand motivations; predict pathogenic agents
behaviour)

Monitoring programs (detect/track specific Early prediction of disease dispersion

pathogens/diseases) patterns

Establishment of laboratories to research Early containment procedures,

the most-virulent diseases epidemiology and treatment

Creation of agent-specific resistance in Depopulation and carcass disposal

livestock

Specific vaccination against the most- Vaccine and pharmaceutical stockpiling

threatening animal disease agents

Modification (where possible) of

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vulnerable food/agriculture practices Public awareness and outreach programs

Biosecurity and surveillance Education and training (across the

communities)

Source: Most of the above items are from Henry Parker, Agricultural Bioterrorism: A Federal Strategy to Meet the Threat, McNair
Paper 65, Washington, D.C.: Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defence University, March 2000, pp. 40-41.

MONITORING & EVALUATION

Monitoring and evaluation will be carried out by all parties involved. It will include
conducting a comprehensive needs analysis of

1. Increasing the number of local personnel with the skills to identify and treat exotic
foreign animal diseases.
2. Assessing how to foster more coordinated and standardized links between the rural
farmers and intelligence communities (farmers’ corps, quarantine personals).
3. Focusing attention on issues of law enforcement and the use of forensic investigations
to determine whether disease outbreaks are deliberate or naturally occurring.
4. Revisiting the effectiveness of the disease reporting system.
5. Evaluating surveillance, internal quality control, and emergency response at food
processing and packing plants to weigh the immediate costs of improving biosecurity
against the long-term benefits of instituting those upgrades.
6. Weekly, monthly and quarterly reports are to be prepared and submitted to the
management committee timely.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Having implemented, monitored and effectively evaluated the project, the following
indicators should be evidential and sustained:

1. A free threat agricultural environment

2. A sharp decrease in rural-urban migration
3. An effective inter-agency coordination
4. Initiated and sustained sensitization and information sharing analysis
5. Two (2) Established functional laboratories, research and quarantine centers in
Ohimini
6. Three (3) Agric-police station built by July, 2020
7. Four (4) vigilante posts mounted
8. Functional Agric-security/monitoring gadgets on farms and villages
9. Accelerated increase in agricultural production and outputs in Ohimin
10. Surplus agro products for consumption and export

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CONCLUSION

Attacks against people and the infrastructure of their societies through the release of
pathogens directed at food and agriculture are a compelling threat because food products are
essential to sustain life. The nature of the pathogens, the manner of dissemination, the
efficacy of surveillance systems, and the competency of first responders serve as critical
indicators to the lethality of the attacks. Some actions may inflict mass effect, and not
necessarily mass casualties. Therefore, “the key to the effective defence against an attack
using biological agents is to have in place highly functioning public health surveillance and
education systems and an appropriate healthcare infrastructure to mitigate the consequences
in the event that an attack takes place”. If project is effectively implemented and monitored,
among others the key indicator by July, 2020, is to have a well secured environment for
farmers operations and agricultural products with at least nine (9) functional security/
quarantine centers within the local government.

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REFERENCES

Monke, J. (2007) Agro terrorism: Threats and Preparedness. Congressional Reporting

Service.

Henry, P., Agricultural Bioterrorism: A Federal Strategy to Meet the Threat, McNair Paper
65, Washington, D.C.: Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defence
University, March 2000, pp. 40-41.

Shutse, J. (2009), Reducing the impact of Disaster through education: Agricultural disaster,
Agro security. Available from
htt://eden.Isu.edu/Topics/AgDiseaster/Agrosecurity/Pages/BackgroundInfo.aspx#Module
1 (Last accessed:19/01/2016)

Zoonoses and the Human-Animal-Ecosystems Interface (2010).The World Health

Organization.

USAID 2004. US Agency for International Development Program for Biosafety Systems.
2004. Accessed July 2005 http://www.futureharvest.org/pdf/Biosafety_FINAL1.pdf

RAND. 2003. Agro-terrorism: what is the threat and what can be done about it? RAND
Corporation Research Brief. Accessed July 2005 at http://www.rand.org.

UNEP 2004. United Nations Environment Program, Global Environment Facility. 2004.
Accessed July 2005 at http://www.unep.ch/biosafety/index.htm
Tradingeconomics- ational Bureau of Statistics

Lawrence, O. (2018): benuenews.com.ng/2018/01/live-p, 12:26pm – Jan, 2018

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