Farmers in Zamfara and Sokoto States are sounding the alarm over escalating extortion and threats from armed bandits, who are now enforcing strict "harvest taxes" and controlling access to farmlands during this year's cropping season.
Despite abundant rainfall boosting yields, residents told The Guardian that relentless attacks have transformed fertile fields into no-go zones, instilling widespread fear and jeopardizing food security in northern Nigeria.
Bandits are reportedly demanding cash or portions of crops as payment before permitting farmers to till or reap their fields, while setting up illegal checkpoints around villages to enforce compliance and punish defaulters.
“We are living under a parallel authority,” an anonymous farmer from Tsafe Local Government Area in Zamfara State revealed.
“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 intimidation has driven many to abandon ripe crops, leading to deserted communities, neglected farmlands, and surging food prices in local markets.
Similar reports emerge from Isa, Sabon Birni, and Goronyo in Sokoto State, where shortages are already evident.
“Without protection, our efforts are wasted. We may face famine despite having good rains,” warned a farmer from Bakura in Zamfara State.
Farmers' groups and community leaders are urging the Federal Government and security agencies to deploy sustained military patrols in hotspot areas to safeguard rural zones during peak harvest.
Residents emphasize that the greater threat is no longer poor weather but bandit-imposed levies and violence, which are eroding agricultural output and deepening regional insecurity.
