A new report by SB Morgan Intelligence has disclosed a disturbing trend among farmers in Northern Nigeria. According to the report, farmers are forced to pay as much as N100,000 to armed bandits to access their farmlands during the planting or harvest season. Non-compliance with these demands can result in severe penalties, ranging from forfeiture of harvest to abduction and even execution.
In Kaduna, for instance, bandits demand between N70,000 and N100,000 from each farmer in certain communities for permission to farm. Communities like Kidandan, Galadimawa Kerawa, Sabon Layi, Sabon Birni, and Ruma have been significantly impacted. Residents in these areas have reported paying substantial sums to bandits for permission to farm, with additional payments required for harvesting. Those who resist these demands face severe consequences, including abduction, murder, or confiscation of their produce.
In Zamfara, the payments to bandits depend on the type of crop being planted, with farmers of more expensive crops paying the highest. For example, rice farmers in some Local Government Areas (LGAs) have reportedly paid around N120,000 as farm levies to bandits, while guinea corn farmers were made to pay just N50,000.
The report also noted that payments to bandits could either be in cash or from proceeds of harvests, as during the harvest season, the levies are usually higher. Bandits have also engaged in tacit slavery, forcing communities to grow and sell crops for them.
Between November 2020 and November 2023, farmers across the North-west states were levied around N224.92 million by different groups of bandits operating in the region. The abductions and, in some cases, deaths of victims have forced many to flee their home communities. This alarming trend underscores the urgent need for security reforms and interventions in the region.
