Farmers in parts of Zamfara and Sokoto States have raised alarm over what they describe as unbearable levies, threats, and intimidation by armed bandits who now control vast rural farmlands across the two states.
The situation, which worsened at the peak of the harvest season, has forced many farmers to either pay illegal “harvest taxes” to bandit leaders or abandon their farms entirely. Reports from The Guardian and NorthenTimes reveal that the bandits have effectively assumed the role of local authorities, dictating when farmers may access their fields and how much they must surrender — either in cash or in portions of their crops — before being allowed to harvest.
In Zamfara State, communities in Tsafe, Bakura, and Maradun Local Government Areas are among the hardest hit, while in Sokoto, the affected areas include Isa, Sabon Birni, and Goronyo. Farmers say the armed groups now operate openly, collecting levies and threatening to attack anyone who refuses to comply.
“They tell us when to go to our farm, how much to pay, and even take a portion of our grains. Those who refuse are attacked or kidnapped,” a farmer from Tsafe lamented. Another farmer from Bakura said, “Without protection, our efforts are wasted. We may face famine despite having good rains this year.”
The illegal taxation has crippled agricultural activities in the region, raising fears of worsening food insecurity. Local markets are already feeling the impact, with reports of food shortages and rising prices across major towns. The situation is particularly dire as the North-West remains one of Nigeria’s key food-producing regions.
Security analysts note that this latest development shows a growing shift in the tactics of armed groups from kidnapping and raids to organized extortion — a form of parallel governance that undermines state authority. “When non-state actors begin to dictate economic activity, it means they have established control, not just presence,” one analyst warned.
The farmers have appealed to both state and federal authorities to deploy more security forces to protect rural communities. They also called for urgent intervention to prevent a full-blown humanitarian crisis.
This development comes amid ongoing military operations in Zamfara, Katsina, and parts of Sokoto, where troops of Operation Hadarin Daji and other security agencies have continued to engage bandits in forest hideouts. Despite these efforts, rural insecurity remains persistent, pushing many farmers to flee their communities and deepening the region’s economic distress.
Experts warn that unless the government urgently secures farmlands and enforces the rule of law, Nigeria’s food production could decline further — exacerbating hunger, unemployment, and inflation across the country.