From Rakiya A.Muhammad
As the threat of banditry grows, many Nigerian farmers are fleeing their fields in fear, tearing the country’s food security fabric apart. Land has always been an essential part of Nigerian life, but now it tells a different story—a narrative of loss and survival.
For centuries, families who have cultivated the land are now confronting a dire reality. Daily bandit incursions result in the theft of harvests, destruction of property, and devastation of lives.
Banditry has proliferated in agricultural areas. These organised and armed groups have undermined the livelihoods of numerous farmers, causing turmoil throughout their communities.
Generally seen as the cornerstone of rural economies, the agricultural sector is increasingly vulnerable to escalating instability and violence, particularly in the bandit-ridden northwest region of Nigeria.
Farmers, faced with the harsh reality of a violent climate that not only hinders their capacity to plant crops but also erodes their mental well-being and communal bonds, have replaced their once-fervent hopes and dreams with dread for their lives and livelihoods.
With eyes heavy with sorrow, 55-year-old Malama Fatima Aminu shares her heartbreaking experience. “As we were celebrating the impending harvest, the ground shook from gunfire. And we lost everything to bandits’ attacks… my husband, my son, our crops, and even our livestock.”
Her story is just one of many, each a testament to the devastating effects of banditry on Nigerian farmers. Banditry has left many displaced, lost assets, and limited income opportunities.
Fatima’s husband had dedicated over three decades to farming, growing all the food his family needed. In the blink of an eye, bandits attack, destroying lives, extinguishing hope, and bringing the cycle of production to a halt, leaving his families shattered and entire communities crumbling under the weight of despair.
Once a hive of farm labour and fun, the fields now lie hushed, resonating with the silent cries of desertion.
Aisha struggles to complete her story, but her determination weakens as tears cascade down her cheeks. She looks down as the unpleasant memories weigh on her.
Raised in a rural community, Mohammed Nasir, 28, inherited the family farm from his parents. He consistently has a fervent passion for agriculture and maintains a profound connection to the land.
He expresses sorrow that the surge in bandit attacks, which threaten lives and compromise food security, has ensnared rural farmers in an unyielding circle of dread and uncertainty.
“Hitherto, we rise before dawn and prepare to cultivate the land.” However, at present, we exist in trepidation. Each shadow may be them,” Nasir depicts.
“I have lost more than merely my crops.” I have lost my sense of security. Bandits arrive at night, leaving us perpetually uncertain whether we will awaken to find our fields ravaged or, more ominously,
The young farmer emphasises, “When they seize our harvest, they seize our future.” We struggle to sustain our family and meet other basic needs.
Insecurity and violence impede Musa Lawal, a 70-year-old farmer, who is another victim of a banditry attack.
“We used to work from dawn until dusk, but now I hesitate before venturing outside,” Musa laments, aware that his heart is with the land. “When will I return home? Will I harvest the crops I have sown?”
He emphasises the urgent need for the government to prioritise the eradication of banditry, arguing that the suffering of the entire community extends beyond the loss of a single farmer.
” This menace has persistently robbed us of our livelihoods and communities of their sustenance in an area where agriculture is the bedrock of the economy,” Lawal cries out.
“The repercussions permeate communities—food supplies diminish, prices escalate, and hunger constricts the hold on our families. Food security is frail; we face a crisis demanding immediate attention and collective action.”
Banditry poses a direct and urgent threat to food security. In many parts of Nigeria’s North West region, farmers cannot plant crops due to the dread of bandit attacks, resulting in reduced yields and directly affecting food availability. The need for immediate and adequate security measures is undeniable.
Disruption in the food supply chain
The lifeblood of communities is the food supply chain, which connects producers to markets, ensures fresh produce reaches consumers, and supports livelihoods. But what happens when violence disrupts this chain?
Violent attacks on farms and storage facilities are a common manifestation of banditry in numerous regions of the Northwest. These incidents devastate local economies and result in food shortages that affect communities throughout the region.
Bandits impose taxes on farmers to gain access to their farmlands. “We pay about N200,000 to cultivate our land or harvest crops,” reveals Mallam Musa, a farmer from Zamfara. These taxes, often collected during planting and harvesting seasons, can lead to massacres, crop destruction, and attacks on villagers when not paid.
Some farmers also regret that bandits established checkpoints to extort money from them while transporting their produce to markets. They further add that some bandits exert control over local markets, imposing taxes on goods sold and purchased.
Aliyu Isa, a 48-year-old individual previously involved in the livestock business, bemoans their destruction.
“These bandits devastated everything—our farmlands, cattle, sheep, rams, and other sources of livelihood,” laments Aliyu, whose family members died in a bandit attack.
Still reeling at the loss of loved ones at the hands of bandits, Aliyu can’t believe he’s lived through this.
The consequences of banditry extend beyond the confines of individual families. When farmers abandon their land, food production decreases, food prices escalate, and hunger worsens in struggling areas.
“I used to sell more than I do now.” Customers are reluctant to purchase, and the prices are exorbitant when they do. Banditry has changed everything. Malam Usman Ali laments, “We need security—for our lives and businesses.”
Also, Ibrahim Sani laments the supply chain disruption that is leading to food price inflation. “People pay more for less, and ultimately, the most vulnerable suffer.” This stark reality should invoke a sense of empathy in all of us.
The relationship between insecurity and stability in communities is profound. When conflict strikes, families lose access to food and resources essential for healthy living—clean water, healthcare, and education.
“We fled with nothing but the clothes we wore. Now, we reside in uncompleted buildings, subsisting on the meagre food from elsewhere. It is grossly inadequate. My children go to bed hungry.” Fatima’s words underscore the urgent need for action.
“As the sun sets daily, I am apprehensive about my children.” I aspire to provide them a better life, but worry that I’m failing them.”
The ongoing insecurity has a devastating impact on large-scale population displacements both inside and across borders, with the World Band identifying forced displacement as a development challenge, not only a humanitarian concern.
It observes that the number of individuals forcibly displaced from their homes, regions, and countries experienced a significant increase around 2010. By 2010, the number had reached the highest level in 15 years, with nearly 44 million individuals affected, and the number has only increased since then, reaching a staggering 117.3 million by the end of 2023.
“Forcibly displaced people are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity; millions of them come from countries affected by food crises,” notes the World Bank.
“And in 2023, more than 60 percent were living in territories affected by food crises.”
Internally displaced individuals have continued to experience restricted food access, reduced purchasing power, and depleted food stocks as a result of ongoing insecurity.
According to the Nigeria Food Security Outlook (June 24-January 2025),
“Multiple shocks, including protracted conflict and a macroeconomic crisis, have eroded livelihoods across Nigeria,” it states.
“While livelihoods vary, agriculture remains dominant for most rural households. Conflict in the North, previously a key area for surplus crop production, has disrupted agriculture and reduced yields.”
The Outlook explains that high inflation and economic volatility worsen these issues by making food less affordable.
“June, the current situation for this report, typically marks the start of the lean season with rising food prices, but the lean season has begun earlier in recent years as households deplete food stocks sooner, it notes.
“Insecurity limits market access and the movement of goods, isolating communities and preventing surplus food distribution even during the post-harvest period (September to January). These compounded shocks have disrupted the seasonal food availability cycles, leading to high levels of need year-round.”
The Famine Early Warning Network system (FEWS Net) also recalls many years of protracted conflict in the Northeast and escalating conflict in the North West and North Central. These conflicts disrupt livelihood activities, limit income-generating activities, drive population displacement, and constrain food access.
“Nigeria faces significant food security challenges exacerbated by escalating conflicts, economic instability, and atypical staple food prices,” it notes.
According to FEWS NET, 17 to 18 million individuals will require humanitarian assistance during the June to August 2024 dry season.
“Of highest concern include the population in inaccessible areas, the displaced population in garrison towns, and the IDPs in camps in the Northeast. These are closely followed by the displaced population in the North West and North Central states,” it states.
“Nigeria faces significant food security challenges exacerbated by escalating conflicts, economic instability, and atypical staple food prices.”
The 2024 Global Report on Food Crisis, a comprehensive assessment of food security and nutrition issues worldwide, shows that in Nigeria, 24.9 million people faced high levels of acute food insecurity. Conflict/insecurity was the primary driver, with 3.5 million forcibly displaced. The report adds that 5.9 million children under 5 have acute malnutrition.
Malnutrition and Insecurity. What Relationship?
Malnutrition remains a critical public health challenge worldwide, with millions affected by stunting, wasting, or micronutrient deficiencies. Concurrently, food crises are escalating due to the combined pressures of climate change, economic inequities, and, crucially, insecurity.
Regions facing high levels of violence and instability show severe food shortages and increasing malnutrition rates, compounding the existing challenges to achieving food security and healthy dietary practices.
Mr. Matthias Schmale, Nigeria’s Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, describes the country’s food security and nutrition situation as profoundly concerning.
“Children are the most vulnerable to food insecurity. Approximately 6 of the 17 million food insecure Nigerians today are children under five living in Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Sokoto, Katsina, and Zamfara states,” he discloses, emphasising the dire situation these children are in.
“There is a serious risk of mortality among children attributed to acute malnutrition. In the BAY states alone, the number of children suffering from acute malnutrition is expected to increase from 1.74 million in 2022 to 2 million in 2023.”
According to UNICEF, the northwest area, which includes Katsina, Zamfara, and Sokoto states, is a growing hotspot for food insecurity and malnutrition.
“An estimated 2.9 million people are critically food insecure (Cadre Harmonisé Phase 3 or worse), and this figure is projected to increase to 4.3 million in the lean season if urgent action is not taken.”
The Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reports a dire situation in Northern Nigeria. The record admissions of severely malnourished children are placing an overwhelming burden on MSF medical facilities, underscoring the urgent need for immediate action.
“In recent weeks, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) inpatient facilities in northern Nigeria have recorded an extraordinary increase in admissions of severely malnourished children with life-threatening complications, exceeding last year’s figures by over 100 percent in some locations,” it points out.
“For MSF teams, this is an alarming indication of a premature peak of the lean season and
the increase in acute malnutrition that accompanies it, typically anticipated in July.”
Dr Simba Tirima, MSF’s Country Representative in Nigeria, underscores the situation.
“Children are dying. If immediate action is not taken, more lives hang in the balance. Everyone needs to step in to save lives and allow the children of northern Nigeria to grow free from malnutrition and its disastrous long-term, if not fatal, consequences,” says Tirima.
“We’ve been warning about the worsening malnutrition crisis for the last two years. 2022 and 2023 were already critical, but an even grimmer picture is unfolding in 2024. We can’t keep repeating these catastrophic scenarios year after year. What will it take to make everyone take notice and act?”
The Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) flagship publication, ‘State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World,’ notes that around 733 million people faced hunger in 2023, equivalent to one in eleven people globally and one in five in Africa.
The annual report warns that the world is falling significantly short of achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, Zero Hunger, by 2030. The report reveals that the world has regressed by 15 years, with undernourishment levels approaching those of 2008-2009.
It adds that the indicators of progress toward global nutrition targets similarly show that the world is not on track to eliminate all forms of malnutrition.
“An alarming number of people continue to face food insecurity and malnutrition as global hunger levels have plateaued for three consecutive years, with between 713 and 757 million people undernourished in 2023—approximately 152 million more than in 2019 when considering the mid-range (733 million),” the report highlights.
“The percentage of the population facing hunger continues to rise in Africa (20.4 per cent).”
The report indicates that access to adequate food remains elusive for billions. In 2023, around 2.33 billion people globally faced moderate or severe food insecurity.
“Broader challenges persist, especially in Africa, where 58 per cent of the population is moderately or severely food insecure,” it states, adding major drivers such as conflict, climate change, and economic downturns are becoming more frequent and severe.
“Food insecurity and malnutrition are worsening due to a combination of factors, including persisting food price inflation that continues to erode economic gains for many people in many countries.”
It underlines the necessity of adequate food security and nutrition financing to implement the policies, investments, and legislation necessary to reverse the current trends of starvation, food insecurity, and malnutrition.
A study on the effect of banditry on food security in Zamfara finds banditry as a great security issue , affecting the human life and security of properties.
“ Food security to be precise is one major aspect that is affected where livestock, market and other food related commodities are badly affected in terms of production, consumption and commerce,” it states.
The study explores the effects of banditry on food security in Zamfara State smapling Selected areas of Shinkafi, Bakura Maradun and Anka.
“Among the findings of the study is that, banditry has a great effect on the security of food in the study area, it reduces production,
retards other farming activities, destroys livestock, halts commercial activities, causes famine and destroys the environment,” the study reveals,
“Other findings angles on the human security in Zamfara State, lives are not secured, farmlands are abandoned, cattle are rustled which cripples the political economy of Zamfara State.”
Ibrahim Dandakata, the chairman of the Arewa Economic Forum, or AEF, offers additional context for the issue.
“The North’s insecurity, which has led to the abandonment of 60% of the region’s arable land for more than five years, undoubtedly contributes to the real hunger issue,” he says.
“Consequently, the cost of protein has skyrocketed, and cattle rustling, which has escalated to banditry, significantly contributes to the people’s ordeal.”
He calls for a concerted effort to address insecurity, highlighting its devastating impact on crop cultivation and cattle rearing.
While the chair acknowledges that their ideas might not cover everything, they are confident they will unquestionably establish a path forward.
“Firstly, we must establish safe enclaves for cattle rearing, equipped with water, security, and all the necessary facilities to make such enclaves operational.”
He believes that such safe enclaves, in the form of grazing reserves, will provide a haven for herders, with the government offering necessary support.
The AEF adds that it would improve collaboration with NGOs and the private sector to guarantee sufficient security and prevent foreign encroachment.
In light of the current security situation, the Nigerian Army recently organised a retreat for serving and retired commanders in the Northwest.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja emphasises the retreat’s significance for the region, which he describes as critical to food security.
Despite the efforts of the Nigerian Army, sister services, and other government departments and agencies to curb the trend, Ladbaja notes that the activities of these non-state actors have further impacted the security environment in the North West region and, by extension, the country.
“The current security challenges the nation is facing are volatile, complex, and fluid and vary from one zone to another,” he elucidates.
“In the North West, the security situation is made complex and persistent by activities of non-state actors who engage in banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling, illegal mining, and violent attacks leading to the destruction of lives and means of livelihoods.”
He says the Army needs to assess the situation and stay ahead of criminals to eradicate insecurity in the region.
The Army Chief asserts that the retreat was crucial to protecting the region from criminal elements.
Also, the Federal Government has enhanced its efforts to safeguard livestock, particularly cattle, from rustlers, thereby boosting livestock production in the nation.
It established a National Animal Identification Traceability System (NAITS) to prevent cattle rustling and livestock production, particularly in the North, which has held most of Nigeria’s cattle.
While some stress the need to investigate what causes banditry, others call for immediate action to alleviate the food crisis.
Aisha Aliyu, a rights crusader, urges the Nigerian government, the donor community, and public and private stakeholders to allocate resources promptly and implement mitigation measures to prevent a potentially catastrophic food security and nutrition situation and save lives.
Entrepreneur Hassan Danjuma emphasises the necessity of establishing effective mechanisms to reduce the menace of banditry in the northwest region of Nigeria.
“Farmers are the backbone of our economy. Banditry doesn’t just affect individual families; it disrupts the entire supply chain. As food costs rise, the local economy suffers,” he points out.
Danjuma advocates for a comprehensive and systematic approach to mitigate banditry, particularly in regions severely affected, such as farmlands, marketplaces, and grazing areas, to ensure food security and protect lives.
He emphasises the need for relevant authorities to ensure the gathering of intelligence regarding the bandits’ hideouts and their schemes through grassroots involvement to identify anomalous activities, such as significant food purchases from markets, drug acquisitions from pharmacies, fuel supplies, and the presence of unfamiliar individuals in the vicinity.
On the other hand, analyst Mohammed Aminu suggests a comprehensive strategy to eradicate the threat.
“The urgent requisite for holistic mechanisms that address the root causes of food crises, including poverty, conflict, and system failures, underscores the importance of a collaborative effort from governments, NGOs, and communities. This collective action is crucial to effectively combat the complex tapestry of food security.”
For many rural dwellers, farming is not just their livelihood; it’s their heritage.
But the fear of the loss of heritage is particularly bothersome. “Our ancestors have farmed this land for generations. Now, we fear for our lives and our future,” Aminu Lawal articulates, a mixture of sadness and determination etched on his face.
“But we have to find a way to drive the bandits away. Without our farms, we lose our heritage.
