Bandits demand ₦20 million levy from Katsina farmers to access farmlands

Bandits demand ₦20 million levy from Katsina farmers to access farmlands

Farmers in Gatakawa village, located in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, are facing renewed hardship after armed bandits reportedly imposed a ₦20 million levy on the community as a condition to access their farmlands for harvest.

The disturbing development was disclosed on Wednesday by Bakatsine, a journalist who reports on security issues across northern Nigeria. According to him, the criminal gangs have threatened to bar farmers from entering their farms unless the payment is made in full.

He criticised the ongoing peace agreements between bandits and rural communities, arguing that such deals have only emboldened the attackers and deepened insecurity in the North West region.

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In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the journalist wrote:

“Bandits have reportedly imposed a ₦20 million levy on Gatakawa farmers before allowing them to harvest their crops — a chilling sign of deepening insecurity in the North West.
For many farmers in Kankara LGA, the so-called peace deal has only brought deeper fear. Families now sell their belongings or borrow money just to pay bandits before entering their farmlands.
Beyond the human toll, such extortion threatens food security and erodes public confidence in the authorities’ ability to protect rural communities.”

The latest incident adds to growing concerns about the worsening security situation in Katsina State, where frequent attacks, kidnappings, and levies imposed by armed groups have crippled farming and displaced thousands of residents.

Local sources say many farmers are now abandoning their fields out of fear, raising fresh fears of food shortages across the region.

Authorities in Katsina are yet to issue an official statement regarding the reported levy as of press time.

Bandits demand ₦20 million levy from Katsina farmers to access farmlands