Farmers Face Bandit Levies as Insecurity Threatens Food Production in Northern Nigeria

The farming season has commenced in several northern states, but many farmers in Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Yobe and other areas affected by banditry are facing fear, losses and uncertainty due to rising insecurity.
Reports indicate that armed bandits have continued to impose illegal levies, popularly described as “farming taxes,” on farmers seeking access to their farmlands.

In Katsina State, residents of Kwandawa community in Malumfashi Local Government Area were reportedly asked by bandits to pay a N20 million levy or leave their village and farmlands. The demand was allegedly made after the killing of one of the bandits’ members.
Similarly, about 26 communities in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State were said to have begun contributions towards meeting fresh demands imposed by bandits who had prevented residents from accessing their farms ahead of the planting season.

The armed groups reportedly issued a three-day ultimatum, warning farmers against visiting their farmlands until the levies were paid.
In parts of Kano and Katsina states, bandits were also accused of extorting farmers, with sugarcane growers allegedly asked to pay up to N50,000 per acre before harvesting their crops.
The situation has raised concerns over its possible impact on food production and the country’s food security.

The Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Kano State chapter, Abdullahi Ali Mai Biredi, said persistent attacks on farmers were contributing to food shortages in northern Nigeria.
He explained that small-scale farmers, who produce between 10 and 15 bags of agricultural products, remain the major contributors to Nigeria’s food supply.

“Those small-scale farmers producing 10 to 15 bags are the ones providing food for Nigeria, not those who produce 500 to 1,000 bags,” he said.
Mai Biredi warned that restricting farmers from accessing their farms would reduce agricultural output and worsen food scarcity.
“If these farmers cannot go to their farms because of insecurity, there will be a shortage of food, and food scarcity causes problems,” he stated.

He added that food shortages could further increase insecurity in the country.
The AFAN chairman, however, acknowledged efforts by the government and security agencies to improve security in some farming communities.

He noted that farming activities had resumed in some border communities between Kano and Katsina states, with farmers returning to prepare their lands for cultivation.
Mai Biredi also urged authorities to address the root causes of insecurity, appealing for solutions to the grievances that fuel violent activities.
He said, “These people causing insecurity, we pray to God to make them better people. If they have a problem, the government should ensure it looks into their complaints because insecurity has caused huge damage in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, efforts to obtain comments from the Katsina State Ministries of Agriculture, Information, and Internal Security were unsuccessful as the agencies had not responded at the time of filing the report.