In a stirring display of unity and urgency, hundreds of women poured onto the streets of Abeokuta on the 9th of April, 2025, demanding immediate government action on the insecurity fueling hunger and poverty across Nigeria.
Led by Adeshola Kogbodoku, the women moved through the city’s main roads and converged at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Secretariat, Oke Ilewo. There, they made their demands clear urging Governor Dapo Abiodun and President Bola Tinubu to act decisively.
Their placards carried bold messages:
• “Stop destroying our farms”
• “Stop killing our farmers”
• “Keep Fulani cows off our land”
• “Stop raping our children”
The women described how attacks by suspected criminal herders had turned farming into a deadly risk. Farmlands have become war zones. Families can no longer harvest crops. Food prices continue to soar.
Kogbodoku spoke with a firm voice on behalf of the crowd.
“Our fathers and mothers can no longer go to their farms. These ruthless herders destroy crops and kill those who speak out. Women are raped or kidnapped. This is directly responsible for the rising food prices and deepening poverty.”
She painted a grim picture one where everyday food items, like garri, are now out of reach for many. Roads once busy with farmers are now avoided for fear of abduction.
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“The food shortage is a direct result of this insecurity. If farmers can return to their land safely, food will become more available and affordable. The poverty level will reduce.”
Kogbodoku called on both state and federal authorities to stop “pampering criminals.”
“The government has the capacity to end this. They must stop treating these criminals with kid gloves. Nigerians deserve to live and work in peace.”
This protest follows a similar one in Ondo State where farmers were murdered. It’s a growing movement grassroots, rural, and urgent. The message is clear: act now or risk total collapse.