Aside from fuelling fear in vulnerable communities, bandits in Sokoto State have reportedly demanded a staggering N15 million from villagers just to allow them access to their farmlands.
According to local sources, the armed group warned that failure to pay the demanded “tax” would result in the burning of farmlands and produce, effectively crippling the livelihoods of hundreds of farmers who depend on the current harvest season for survival.
The sources added that the armed men have turned the simple act of tending crops into a life-threatening ordeal in Yabo Local Government Area, where residents said the bandits delivered their message through informants operating within nearby settlements.
Villagers were instructed to pool funds collectively, with each household expected to contribute a portion of the N15 million demanded.
“We are trapped between hunger and fear,” lamented a local farmer who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“They told us plainly that if we refuse to pay, they will set our crops on fire and attack anyone seen on the farms.”
Security analyst Bakatsine, who first raised the alarm on his social media account on Tuesday, described the move as a dangerous evolution in bandit operations, saying it highlights how criminal groups are tightening their grip on rural economies.
“When bandits start imposing taxes on communities, it shows they are establishing control in areas where government authority has weakened,” he noted.
The shocking development has also triggered outrage among Nigerians, with many demanding urgent action from both the Sokoto State Government and federal security agencies.
Residents said timely government intervention is necessary, as many farmers have already abandoned their fields, uncertain of what awaits them.
Community leaders reportedly sent distress messages to security forces, but according to multiple accounts, no significant response has been recorded so far.
As the bandits’ payment deadline draws near, panic continues to spread across Yabo’s farming communities, where the fear of losing one’s harvest or life, now overshadows the hope of a peaceful farming season.
