Farmers in parts of Kano and Katsina states are being forced to pay as much as N50,000 per acre to armed groups before harvesting their crops, as bandits establish parallel authority in key forest reserves.
According to reports, these groups have fortified their presence in the Rugu Forest (Faskari LGA, Katsina) and Falgore Forest (Doguwa LGA, Kano), where they impose illegal agricultural levies and threaten farmers who resist.
Those refusing to pay face intimidation, crop destruction, and potential violence, forcing many to abandon their farmlands entirely. While sugarcane growers appear to be the main targets, maize farmers are also heavily affected.
Activist Bakatsine noted that these forests lie within the strategic Kano-Katsina food belt, a crucial agricultural corridor that supplies sugarcane and maize to major markets, including Dawanau Market in Kano. Experts warn that continued disruption could lead to food shortages and price inflation across Northern Nigeria.
Despite military and police checkpoints along Falgore Road, armed groups reportedly operate within five kilometers of these security positions.
Local residents describe the situation as a gradual takeover, with bandits enforcing rules, collecting levies, and controlling daily economic activity largely unchallenged.
At the time of reporting, neither the affected state governments nor security agencies had issued an official response.
