Bandits have demanded that farmers in the Unguwar Jibo and Nasarawa communities in Kachia Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State pay N100,000 each in order to be allowed to cultivate their lands.
This demand comes after accusations that the farmers provided information to troops regarding the bandits’ movements and locations.
A source, who requested anonymity, revealed this information to Newsmen on Monday, May 27, 2024.
According to the source, farmers in three neighboring communities Gidan-Makeri, Hayin Dam, and Dogon-Daji, which fall under Kagarko LGA have also been ordered to pay N100,000 each by the bandits.
In addition to the monetary demand, the bandits have instructed the farmers to supply them with foodstuffs and drugs every two weeks as a further condition for allowing them to farm.
A community leader, who also wished to remain anonymous, confirmed the situation. He recounted that, “Last week, some farmers in Unguwar Jibo and Nasarawa were driven away from their farms by bandits who suspected them of providing information to troops about their movements.”
The leader expressed deep concern, noting that, “The majority of our people, around 95%, are peasant farmers. The demand for N100,000 from each farmer has thrown our communities into confusion and distress.”
In response to this dire situation, the affected communities have appealed to the state government for help, urging them to deploy troops to protect the farmers and their lands.
As of now, the spokesman for the Kaduna State Police Command, SP Hassan Mansur, has not yet commented on the matter.
