Pay levies or no harvest, bandits tell Zamfara farmers

Armed bandits in Zamfara have levied farmers and expect them to pay before they would be allowed to harvest their farm produce, Daily Trust has gathered.

Farmers in the state have suffered series of assaults by the armed bandits, especially when they attempt to work on their farms.

In 2015, the armed bandits tagged “Noma Haram” wrote farmers in Dansadau district of Maru Local Government Area, warning them to stay away from farms or face dire consequences.

Dozens of farmers have been killed as hundreds of hectres of farmlands remain uncultivated. Most of the slain victims were trapped on their farmlands and got killed, Daily Trust on Sunday learnt.

A farmer in Anka Local Government Area identified as Sani Hamisu said his father was killed in his farm when he went there in March to clear the land in preparation for this year’s cropping season.

“I went to the farm with him and when it was noon, I decided to go back home and get some food for us. About an hour after I left, armed bandits struck and shot him dead.”

I was informed of the sad development and so I decided to stay away from the farm. We could not recover his body until a day later because when they killed him, they hovered around waiting for the next victim,” he added.

Another farmer, Ali Farin Ruwa, said armed men drove cows into his sorghum plantation and the whole crop was destroyed, adding that no one dared to raise a finger against the invading criminals.

“Someone told me that he saw cows grazing on my farmlands, I rushed to the farm to see what was happening. As I approached the field, I was advised to stay away because the attackers were ready to take life at the slightest provocation,” he added.

Now that some farmers and their farmlands have survived the bandits’ onslaught, heavy levies are being imposed on the farmers before they can harvest their crops.

Residents of Anka Local Government Area narrated how the gunmen keep slamming levies on them either to avoid attack or be allowed to harvest farm produce.

“I still can’t go to the farm to harvest my maize. I don’t even know whether the crop is there because I have not gone there for a long time to avoid being killed or kidnapped,” Aliyu Sani said.

“I have a sorghum farm on the fringes of Burwaye forest. They sent a message to our community that N2m each must be paid by those of us who own farms in the area before we will be allowed to harvest. We’ve abandoned the farms for them,” he added.

In Kawaye district of Anka Local Government Area of the state, dozens of hectares of farmlands remain uncultivated as farmers have abandoned them for fear of being killed or kidnapped.

“From Duza to Dawan jiya, Duhuwa and communities Gobirawa, uncultivated lands are a common sight. At the beginning of the rainy season in April and May this year, many farmers were either kidnapped or killed mostly while working on the farms.

“This has instilled fear in the farmers and we decided to abandon the lands. These criminals are every where. The moment you go at least five kilometres away from your community, you would see them. I fear serious shortage of food unless something is done to address the problem,” a farmer Yunusa Muhammad said.

In Dansadau, a district with very fertile land for crop farming, the story is the same. The armed criminals have slammed levies on many farming communities as a precondition for them to attend to their farms. Most of the residents of these communities, our correspondent learnt, have fled.

“Some of these farmers have migrated to cities and towns. The youth have taken to commercial motorbike riding in big cities across the country. For many years now, this is how we’ve been living,” a farmer Ali Kabir lamented.

A lull in the Zamfara State initiated a peace deal prompted the military to begin massive operation against recalcitrant armed bandits and cattle rustlers, thus spurring the return of IDPs to their communities.

“When I went back home, I found out that crops on some of my farms were destroyed. They drove cows to the farmlands for grazing. My sorghum plantation was eaten up.

“Even before we left home, they told us that they would feed their cattle with our crops. Hunger is imminent if care is not taken. Apart from my farm, many others were also destroyed,” said Musa Aljimma.

He said residents of his Aljimma villages have returned on their own volition but met a lot of destruction on their houses and farmlands.

Another resident Isah Haddi said his house was burgled and property looted.

“Shops were also looted, and food items and other essential commodities carted away. We are not surprised that this happened because they can do it even in our presence. Most of the residents met their grain stores empty,” he told our correspondent.

But Idris Alle in Gambiro village said his wife and their children are still taking refuge in Zurmi town. He said he stopped them from joining him back home until he further assesses the situation.

“A lot of women would only join their husbands when security is guaranteed. A single will find it easier to handle a difficult situation unlike when you are with your family. You can’t run and leave them behind,” he added.

In 2018, crops on about 5000 hectres of farmlands in Zamfara State could not be harvested, the Secretary, All Farmers Association of Nigeria in the state, Alhaji Sa’idu Garkuwa, said.

He said the fear of being killed or kidnapped was what forced the farmers to abandon the crops unharvested, adding that there were many reported cases in many farming communities in the state.

“If some thing urgent is not done, there is bound to be a serious food shortage in the years ahead. Farmers are being forced to abandon lands in the state.”

A farmer, Aliyu Muhammad Kawaye, told Daily Trust that some of the residents that fled their homes were taking shelter in his village before they were displaced again by the attack on his community last month.

“The residents abandoned their farms and fled after the suspected armed bandits and cattle rustlers slammed heavy levies on them as precondition for peace,” he added.

These days a new wave of kidnappings for ransom has hit Zamfara communities, rattling many residents and forcing hundreds of farmers to abandon their farmlands even when the crops are due for harvest.

In Kawaye district, kidnappings occur almost on daily basis. More than 15 persons were abducted after a dawn raid on Kawaye community by the gunmen.

Earlier, seven persons were kidnapped while working on their farms. The armed bandits demanded brand new motorbikes as ransom. They also placed N500,000 ransom each on the kidnapped person.

“As I told you, kidnapping for ransom is the order of the day. Two days ago, they invaded Tubiki, a village abou 3km from our community, and took away ten people. In total, about 25 people were picked within three days in these communities,” a resident Murtala Usman said.

When contacted, the Special Adviser to the governor on Public Enlightenment, Media and Communication Mallam Zailani Bappa, referred our reporter to the state police command.

However, the spokesman of the state police command, SP Muhammad Shehu, said the command is aware of such threats but enjoined the communities to desist from entering into such negotiations without informing the relevant authorities.

“Sometimes, the communities would negotiate with armed criminals without our knowledge. The message is simple: report any threats to the state police command. A threat was reported in Nassarawa Burkullu community in Bukuyyum Local Government Area but we were informed and so despatched a team of security operatives to the area,” he said.