Zamfara Farmers Forced to Pay Bandits ₦800,000 Each to Access Farmlands, Face Continued Attacks

Farmers in Dan Isa district of Kaura Namoda Local Government Area, Zamfara State, say they are being extorted by bandits who demand payment before allowing them to access their farmlands this rainy season.

Speaking to Daily Trust via phone, the Ward Head of the area, Malam Hassan Yarima, revealed that all 35 villages under his district were forced to pay N800,000 each to gain permission to farm and another N800,000 will be required during harvest.

“This is the agreement we reached with the bandits’ leader in charge of this area, known as Dan Sadiya,” Yarima said. “Without paying, residents would be barred from farming altogether.”

He added that while he couldn’t speak for other districts, the extortion is widespread and has become the grim reality for farmers in his area.

“We have no choice. If we don’t comply, the bandits won’t let us farm. At least with farming, we can feed our families,” he explained.

Despite the hefty payments, Yarima said the violence hasn’t stopped. Armed groups continue to raid their villages—stealing livestock, looting food supplies, and demanding even more money and provisions.

“They’ve taken everything from us—our animals, our food, our money,” he lamented. “They come weekly, and each time, we’re forced to gather money, foodstuffs, and other items to give them. Sometimes, after collecting these, they even abduct women from our communities.”

Yarima said residents are desperate for peace but remain trapped in a cycle of fear and exploitation.

“We just want to live in peace, but it feels like we’re paying to survive.”