Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Rural communities across Bungudu Local Government Area in Zamfara State are sounding renewed alarms as armed bandit groups tighten their grip on everyday life. Residents in Durkai, Honkarhe, Makwa and Kiluta describe a worsening situation in which they are compelled to pay substantial levies before being allowed to harvest their crops, a burden that has pushed many families to the brink. People in the affected areas report that Durkai and Honkarhe have each been ordered to produce five million naira, while Kiluta faces the same demand. Makwa, however, is grappling with an even harsher requirement, as locals say nine million naira is being forced on them before they can access their farmlands.
Beyond the financial suffocation, residents also recount an unsettling manipulation of the local economy. They say motorcycle prices are now effectively dictated by criminal groups, with a Honda bike reportedly pushed to about one-point-seven million naira, creating an environment in which mobility, trade and daily survival are increasingly controlled by armed actors. Community members describe a life lived under constant fear, where basic activities such as farming, which historically sustained the region, have now become negotiations with violence.
Many are directing urgent pleas to the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, calling for swift and decisive intervention to restore security and allow citizens to recover their livelihoods. For locals who rely entirely on seasonal harvests, each passing day under these conditions deepens hardship and uncertainty.
This situation mirrors similar patterns seen in other parts of the Northwest, where communities face escalating financial extortion after prolonged gaps in effective security coverage. In places with weak state presence, criminal groups often entrench themselves by controlling movement, imposing levies and disrupting agricultural cycles, leaving long-term social and economic scars.
A professional observation suggests that the challenge in Bungudu LGA is not only the violence itself but the systematic erosion of community autonomy. As criminal elements continue to impose economic and psychological dominance, the impact on food supply, rural stability and public confidence becomes even more severe.
The conclusive view is that the voices of these communities highlight how urgent and coordinated action is needed. Without decisive steps to reclaim rural territories from armed groups, the threat to livelihoods will continue to grow, and the region risks sinking deeper into insecurity.
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