Bandits impose N50,000 ‘farming tax’ on Kano-Katsina border settlements
A wave of anxiety has gripped farming communities along the border of Kano and Katsina states as bandits have reportedly introduced a mandatory N50,000 “farming tax” on local settlements.
The illegal levy, which residents describe as a prerequisite for accessing their ancestral lands, marks a dangerous escalation in the extortion tactics used by criminal gangs operating within the region’s forest reserves.
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Harvest Under Threat
The most affected villages are situated within the Shanono and Tsanyawa Local Government Areas of Kano State, which share a porous boundary with the volatile Katsina frontline. According to local sources, the bandits have sent emissaries to community heads demanding the flat fee from every household involved in agriculture.
The Ultimatum: Households must pay N50,000 or face the destruction of their crops and the abduction of laborers.
The Impact: In villages like Tsaure and Ungwan Tudu, several families have already begun fleeing to urban centers, unable to raise the funds.
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The Risk: Those who attempt to farm without paying the “tax” are frequently intercepted and held for higher ransoms.
A Security Vacuum at the Border
The border corridor between Kano and Katsina has long been a flashpoint for cattle rustling and kidnappings. However, the formalization of “taxes” suggests the criminal elements are establishing a semi-permanent presence in the area.
“We are effectively being asked to rent our own land from criminals,” a community leader in Tsanyawa told reporters. “If this is not addressed before the peak of the next planting season, there will be no harvest to speak of next year.”
Economic Implications
The Kano-Katsina axis is a vital belt for the production of staple grains such as maize, millet, and sorghum. Security experts warn that these levies act as a “shadow tax” that will inevitably lead to higher food prices across Northern Nigeria. As farmers pass on the cost of these illegal payments or abandon their farms entirely, the supply chain is expected to tighten significantly.
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Calls for Urgent Intervention
While the police commands in both states have previously conducted joint operations in the forests, residents claim that the bandits return as soon as security forces withdraw. Local stakeholders are now calling for:
Permanent Security Outposts: Establishing forward operating bases in the border forests.
Agro-Rangers: Deployment of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) specialized farming guards.
Intelligence Sharing: Better coordination between the Kano and Katsina state governments to track the movement of the gangs.
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