Banditry: Northern farmers forced to pay N100,000 access fee for permission to farm

Farmers in the northern areas of the country are forced to pay bandits up to N100,000 before being permitted to access their farmlands. 

Farmers must pay before they may plant and maintain their crops, and extra payments are made during harvesting.

The revelation was made in a new research by SB Morgan Intelligence, which was released in March 2024. 

According to the report, bandits in several Kaduna towns have compelled farmers to pay between N70,000 and N100,000 for permission to farm, while those who reject risk punishments ranging from kidnapping, murder, farm devastation, and harvest confiscation.

The report stated, “In Kaduna, communities like Kidandan, Galadimawa Kerawa, Sabon Layi, Sabon Birni and Ruma have been significantly impacted. Residents in these areas have reported paying substantial sums ranging from N70,000 to N100,000 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.”

The report also disclosed that payments to bandits in Zamfara State vary depending on the crop sown, with farmers paying the most for more expensive crops.

For example, rice farmers in some LGAs are asked to pay about N120,000 in farm levies to robbers, whilst guinea corn producers only have to pay N50,000.

Furthermore, the paper highlighted that payments to bandits might be made in cash or with harvest revenues, as levies are typically greater during the harvest season. Bandits have also practised tacit slavery, compelling villages to raise and sell crops for them.

Between November 2020 and November 2023, farmers in the North-west states were taxed around N224.92 million by various bandits operating in the region.

Victims have been abducted and, in some cases, killed, forcing many to flee their homes while non-state actors maintain control despite security forces' attempts.