Author(s) :

Maryam Hamza (Ph.D) and Rilwanu Aisha Musa aisharilwanmusa@ gmail.com.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

Since 2015, heavily armed criminal gangs have carried out frequent attacks on rural farming communities in Kankara LGA, targeting villages for cattle rustling, kidnappings for ransom, and violent looting of property. These incessant violent raids have created an atmosphere of perpetual terror and economic uncertainty among residents. Agricultural production, the mainstay of the local economy, has been seriously disrupted due to farmers abandoning their fields out of fear. Livestock rearing, another important livelihood, has also been affected by cattle theft. Despite the heavy presence of security forces in the area, the gangs have proved remarkably elusive. The spiralling violence has paralyzed daily life and economic activity in Kankara. This study adopts the descriptive and analytic historical method of data analysis by relying on primary and secondary sources. The primary sources include oral interviews, archival sources, government and private organizational reports, and newspapers. The secondary sources consist of published books, journals, and electronic sources etc. The study finds that banditry has caused a drastic reduction in farmland cultivation and crop production, with individual farmers reducing their cultivated land by over 50% and total agricultural output in key crops like maize, rice, and groundnuts dropping by nearly half between 2015 and 2022. The study also reveals that, the activities of bandits have crippled trade and market operations, especially in key markets like Kankara Central, Pauwa, Mabai, and Yargoje, leading to the withdrawal of local and international traders due to fear of attacks and insecurity along trade routes. The study concludes that banditry has devastated both agriculture and commerce in Kankara Local Government Area, worsening food insecurity, displacing livelihoods, and threatening the region’s socio-economic stability. Keywords: Banditry, Farmers, Insecurity, Kidnapping

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