Bandits reportedly form parallel ‘government’, impose N50,000 levy on 2 Nigerian states
By OUR REPORTERS, Kano, Katsina
The report noted that farmers who refuse to pay the imposed levies face intimidation, destruction of their crops, and the risk of violent attacks, forcing many to abandon their farmlands entirely.
Reports reaching The DEFENDER Newspaper say 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.
This report, according to our sources in both states, said that on Friday January 9, 2026, the armed groups had 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 collect illegal farm taxes and issue threats against non-compliant farmers.
The report noted that farmers who refuse to pay the imposed levies face intimidation, destruction of their crops, and the risk of violent attacks, forcing many to abandon their farmlands entirely.
Sugarcane farmers are said to be the primary targets, though maize production has also been affected.
The forests according to an activist Bakatsine with X handle @DanKatsina50, are strategically located within the Kano–Katsina food belt, a major agricultural corridor supplying sugarcane and maize to large markets such as Dawanau Market in Kano.
Experts warn that continued disruption of farming activities in the area could trigger wider food shortages and price increases across northern Nigeria.
Despite the presence of military and police checkpoints along the Falgore road, the report claims that armed groups are operating within five kilometres of these security positions.
This has raised concerns about the effectiveness of security coverage and the capacity of authorities to protect rural communities.
Residents and farming communities reportedly describe the situation as a gradual takeover, with armed actors enforcing rules, collecting levies, and exercising control over daily economic activities without resistance.
The development has intensified calls for urgent action by Kano and Katsina state governments and federal security agencies to dismantle the alleged parallel structures and prevent a looming food-security crisis.
As of press time, no official response had been issued by the affected state governments or security agencies.
