BANDITS HALT HARVESTS IN ZAMFARA AND SOKOTO, FORCE FARMERS TO PAY ‘HARVEST TAXES’

Farmers in parts of Zamfara and Sokoto States are facing increasing threats from armed bandits, who are imposing what they describe as “harvest taxes” during this year’s farming season. The criminal groups demand payments in cash or agricultural produce before farmers can access or harvest their fields.

In some communities, bandits have set up checkpoints around villages, dictating when farmers can go to their farms, how much they must pay, and even taking a share of the harvested crops. Those who resist face attacks, abduction, or destruction of their farmlands.

A farmer from Tsafe Local Government Area in Zamfara, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “They gave us a timetable on when to go to our farms, how much to pay, and they also take a portion of our grains. Those who refuse are attacked or abducted.”

The threats have led to widespread abandonment of farmlands, even in areas with favourable rainfall and crop growth. In Sokoto State, communities in Isa, Sabon Birni, and Goronyo LGAs reported deserted farms and fewer market consignments, driving up local food prices.

Local leaders are appealing to the federal government and security agencies to intervene, warning that the bandits’ actions threaten rural livelihoods and could worsen food insecurity in the region.

Analysts say the situation reflects a new dimension of insecurity in northwestern Nigeria, where criminal networks are monetising agriculture by obstructing harvests and imposing informal levies on farmers. Small-scale farmers are left with a difficult choice: comply with the bandits, abandon their land, or risk violent reprisals.

With Nigeria’s food security already under pressure, such disruptions at the farm-gate level could have far-reaching effects on national markets and inflation, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated security and policy responses.