Zamfara villagers forced to pay ₦800k to bandits to harvest crops

DDM News

(DDM) – Residents of Dan Isa district in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State have raised alarm over a chilling demand imposed on them by armed bandits.

According to Daily Trust, each of the 35 villages under the district has been compelled to pay ₦800,000 to secure the right to harvest their own crops this farming season.

DDM gathered that the demand follows a previous agreement where the same amount was paid by each village before they were permitted to begin cultivation earlier this year.

This means every village will now part with ₦1.6 million in total, just to plant and harvest food on their own farmland.

The Ward Head of Dan Isa, Malam Hassan Yarima, confirmed the situation during a phone conversation with reporters.

He stated that the negotiations were held with a feared local bandit leader identified as Dan Sadiya, who now controls the area.

According to Yarima, failure to meet the bandits’ demands would result in attacks, destruction of crops, or outright prevention from accessing the farmland.

He said the decision to pay was made out of desperation, as most families rely solely on farming to survive.

Despite making these payments, the villagers say the bandits continue to launch attacks.

DDM reports that livestock have been stolen, food supplies seized, and several homes ransacked even after communities complied with the criminals’ instructions.

The Ward Head expressed deep frustration, saying, “We don’t have any choice but to obey them. Otherwise, we won’t be able to harvest anything.”

He further revealed that during these violent visits, the bandits often abduct women from the villages.

“After collecting our money, they still pick some women and go with them,” Yarima added.

The affected communities are now living under extreme fear and economic stress, forced to give up not only cash but also food and other supplies on a regular basis.

Some residents say they have sold off personal belongings just to meet the gang’s demands.

This alarming development adds to the long-standing insecurity crisis in Zamfara, where banditry has displaced thousands, halted education, and decimated livelihoods.

Security agencies have yet to comment on the matter.

Efforts by residents to alert authorities have reportedly yielded no meaningful response.

In many parts of Nigeria’s North-West, criminal gangs operate with impunity, imposing levies, extorting ransom, and enforcing their own rule of law.

DDM notes that the government’s repeated promises of restoring peace in the region remain unfulfilled as citizens continue to face violence, extortion, and trauma.

The situation in Dan Isa underscores the breakdown of state protection and the rising influence of armed non-state actors who now dictate the terms of daily life in rural communities.

Calls have intensified for the federal and state governments to take urgent action before more lives are lost and more communities collapse under the burden of lawlessness.

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