Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Investigative reports from outlets including MA’ASUMAH and security analyses indicate that armed criminal networks have entrenched themselves deep within the Rugu Forest in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State and the Falgore Forest region in Doguwa Local Government Area, Kano State, effectively establishing control over rural communities and agricultural zones. Local farmers say these groups are imposing illegal “taxes” and extortion levies, forcing many to abandon their fields out of fear of violence and loss.
According to the reports, the groups are demanding payments of up to ₦50,000 per acre from sugarcane farmers before harvest, with threats to destroy crops and use violence against anyone who refuses to comply. The extortion has reportedly become so pervasive that many farmers in the regions — part of the critically important Kano–Katsina food belt — are unable to safely cultivate or harvest crops, threatening wider food supply and economic stability across the area.
Both Rugu Forest and Falgore Forest have long been described in security literature as densely forested, difficult‑to‑access terrain exploited by armed bandits and criminal gangs who use the vegetation as hideouts and operational bases. Rugu Forest, a vast woodland stretching across parts of Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna states, is widely recognised as a longstanding stronghold for armed groups responsible for kidnappings, cattle rustling, and extortion. Forests such as Falgore in Kano — historically a game reserve — have similarly become operating environments for criminal elements whose presence limits governance and security enforcement in adjacent farming communities.
Farmers and community members in the food belt that supplies staple goods such as sugarcane and maize to markets like Dawanau describe a deteriorating security environment. Even where military and police checkpoints exist along main roads, including the Falgore route, armed groups seem to operate within as little as 5 km of these positions, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of security coverage and rapid response in the most vulnerable rural areas. The proximity of criminal networks to official checkpoints has fuelled fears that security forces may lack sufficient manpower or strategic reach to prevent raids, extortion, and threats to civilians.
Security experts note that banditry and related criminal activities in northwest Nigeria have evolved over many years, with large forested areas like Rugu repeatedly referenced as bases of operation for gangs who carry out kidnappings for ransom, raids on villages, and cattle theft. These groups have taken advantage of ungoverned and sparsely policed zones, embedding themselves in dense terrain to evade military pressure while exerting influence over local populations.
The reported imposition of illegal taxes on farmers represents a new and deeply destabilizing dimension to the crisis. Extortion of this kind not only strips farmers of their income but also undermines agricultural productivity in a region that supplies food to urban markets across northern Nigeria. Analysts warn that sustained insecurity and threats of violence could reduce planting and harvesting activities, further eroding households’ livelihoods and contributing to food insecurity and economic hardship in rural communities.
Local leaders and civil society advocates are calling for enhanced security operations, better intelligence sharing, and increased deployment of forces to the forest fringes to disrupt these criminal networks. Some have also urged community‑based protection initiatives and coordination with the military and police to provide safer access to farmland and transport routes.
Government authorities have acknowledged challenges in policing remote forest areas, often citing the difficult terrain and adaptive tactics of armed groups that allow them to slip away before security reinforcements can respond effectively. Previous military operations in these regions, such as the Nigerian Army’s tactical strikes on known bandit enclaves in the general vicinity, have at times displaced criminal elements temporarily, but they have not wholly eradicated the networks’ ability to regroup and continue operations.
As the 2026 planting season progresses, farmers and rural communities in Kano and Katsina states remain on edge over the security situation. The reported establishment of a de facto parallel governance structure by armed groups — one that leverages fear to extract payments from farmers — underscores the urgency of stronger and sustained interventions to restore safety, protect livelihoods and safeguard Nigeria’s agricultural heartland.
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