As Security Falters, Armed Groups Create Shadow Government
By Onibiyo Segun
Zamfara, Nigeria – Armed gunmen, including some from the terrorist groups or ISIS, continue to demand cash and food levies from rural residents in Zamfara State, forcing many to flee their homes, according to media reports. The group known as Lakurawa (a Sahelian jihadist group linked to Al Qaeda), controlling territory in Zamfara since 2024, is believed to be operating as a terrorist bandit group according to HumAngle.
TruthNigeria’s review found similar extortions reaching a crisis level in the neighboring states of Sokoto, Kebbi and other northwestern states.
A survey of Zamfara farmers by TruthNigeria in all local government areas of Zamfara in 2024 reported that annual revenues from farm levies amounted to the equivalent of $10 million annually.
Gunmen Set the Rules
In forested rural settlements south of Gusau, the capital of Zamfara State, men carrying AK‑47s now enforce an extortion regime that shapes daily life, residents told TruthNigeria.
Zamfara, bordering Kaduna- Katsina- and Sokoto states, and hosting vast forests, provides cover for armed groups operating across state boundaries.
In an Africa Press report, villagers describe armed groups – widely referred to locally as “bandits” – moving through markets and farm tracks without challenge from security forces, signaling a fragile or inconsistent state presence.
In Tsafe West county (a Local Government Area), gunmen reportedly imposed ₦172.7 million ($115,000) in levies to be paid collectively by 25 villages, along with demands for agricultural produce, driving fear and displacement among farmers.
Residents say levies are sometimes announced through intermediaries before collection. Farmers report being warned not to plant or harvest until levies are paid, forcing many to sell portions of future crops or grain stocks to meet demands.
“We are living under their rule,” said Mohammed Sani, a resident of Dayau in Anka county, while speaking to TruthNigeria.
“They come to our markets, demand levies. If we refuse, they come back with violence,” he added.
“I’ve seen them attend Friday prayers openly armed – it’s like they are part of the community now,” said Amina Umar, a shopkeeper in Dolen Moriki, in a chat with TruthNigeria.
Residents report that gunmen return weekly to enforce extortion demands and punish non‑compliance through beatings, abductions, burning homes or killings.
The Human Toll
This system of extortion has become routine for thousands of rural inhabitants, particularly in predominantly farming communities where agriculture is the chief livelihood.
In Tsafe West and other affected districts, armed gangs regulate market access, dictate prices, and control the flow of food and goods, according to Vanguard.
Many families comply to avoid killings, kidnappings, or disruption of farming, while others have fled to towns such as Gusau, Maru, or neighboring Katsina State.
In some cases, entire hamlets have been abandoned as residents seek safety, leaving farmland untended and supply networks weakened.
Local traders say reduced harvests and population movement have weakened market activity and driven up prices.
Similar Patterns Across the Northwest
TruthNigeria’s regional analysis shows that levy systems are not isolated to Zamfara.
Criminal gangs, loosely organized armed factions operating across forest corridors have enforced extortion schemes in at least five Northwestern states including Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger, according to a TruthNigeria investigation. The rural Fulani-tribe gangs and terrorist groups among them, undermine local governance and rural security while contributing to displacement and food shortages, according to Daily Post.
In Katsina State, armed groups reportedly imposed around ₦20 million in harvest levies on farmers in Gatakawa village before allowing them access to their fields, reflecting a similar pattern of extortion linked to food insecurity across the region as per Daily Post.
In a report by Nigerian Eye, analysts note that some bandit factions even enforce “harvest taxes,” demanding a significant share of crop yields in exchange for access to farmland, worsening food scarcity across key agricultural zones of the Northwest.
Experts Weigh In
Analysts speaking to TruthNigeria reporter in a group chat said:
“A systematic response is necessary. Strengthening police presence in rural Zamfara communities is critical,” said Col. Ibrahim Sani (retired), a defense analyst based in Abuja.
“Without visible, consistent policing, these groups will continue to thrive,” he added.
Dr. Samuel Edem, a security analyst in Lagos, said current strategies have failed to dismantle extortion networks.
“The government has underestimated the resilience of these armed groups,” according to Edem.
He added, “Without sustained security pressure and coordinated intelligence with local security structures, it’s unlikely their influence will be rolled back”.
Both analysts emphasized the need for better coordination among security agencies and long‑term rural stabilization rather than short deployments.
Government and Security Responses
The Zamfara State Government faced protests in mid‑2025 when villagers from Gusau and surrounding areas marched to the Government House demanding urgent action to end killings, kidnappings and levies imposed by gunmen.
The state has deployed police reinforcements and established Civilian Joint Task Force units to support formal forces, but residents say these efforts have been insufficient to protect scattered rural communities.
A spokesman for the Zamfara State Police Command acknowledged reports of levies and said security agencies are coordinating patrols and rapid‑response operations to address extortion and violence.
Violence, Trends and Regional Context
Zamfara’s insecurity is part of a broader Northwest crisis, with armed bandit groups operating in forest corridors that span multiple states.
In one reported series of raids linked to extortion disputes in November 2023, at least 150 villagers were abducted in coordinated attacks, according to Arise News.
Human-rights monitoring groups such as Amnesty International say thousands have been killed and hundreds of villages vacated across the Northwest over the past three years, contributing to one of the most severe humanitarian crises in Nigeria’s recent history.
Daily Survival Under Parallel Rule
For villagers in Dayau, Dolen Moriki and remote hamlets across Zamfara’s hinterlands, daily life now involves constant calculation about safety, payment and movement.
“Sometimes you plan your farming or market day based on where they might be,” Yusuf Aliu, a resident told TruthNigeria.
“You pay them and hope that peace lasts a little while.” Yusuf concluded.
Onibiyo Segun reports on terrorism and conflict for TruthNigeria.
