Armed groups operating in parts of Kano and Katsina states are allegedly extorting farmers, demanding up to N50,000 per acre from sugarcane growers before harvest, as they enforce a parallel system of governance within key forest reserves in the region.
Reports on Friday said the groups have entrenched themselves in Rugu Forest in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State and Falgore Forest in Doguwa Local Government Area of Kano State, where they reportedly collect illegal farm levies and issue threats against non-compliant farmers.
Farmers who refuse to pay are said to face intimidation, destruction of crops, and the risk of violent attacks, forcing many to abandon their farmlands. Sugarcane growers are reportedly the primary targets, though maize production has also been affected.
An activist, Bakatsine, known on X as @DanKatsina50, noted that the forests are strategically located within the Kano–Katsina food belt, a major agricultural corridor supplying sugarcane and maize to markets such as Dawanau Market in Kano.
Experts have warned that continued disruption of farming activities in the area could lead to wider food shortages and price increases across northern Nigeria.
Despite the presence of military and police checkpoints along the Falgore road, the report claimed that armed groups are operating within five kilometres of these security positions, raising concerns about the effectiveness of security coverage and the ability of authorities to protect rural communities.
Residents and farming communities reportedly described the situation as a gradual takeover, with armed actors enforcing rules, collecting levies, and controlling daily economic activities without resistance.
The development has intensified calls for urgent action by the Kano and Katsina state governments, as well as federal security agencies, to dismantle the alleged parallel structures and avert a looming food security crisis.
As of press time, no official response had been issued by the affected state governments or security agencies.
