SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF BANDITRY ON AGRO-PASTORAL COMMUNITIES IN ZAMFARA STATE, NIGERIA

The paper assesses how the heavy weight of banditry has terrorised Zamfara agro-pastoral communities, with significant adverse effects on their socio-economic activities, ranging from emerging abductions of road commuters and mass student hostage-taking syndrome to illegal levies enforced on hapless farmers that disrupted the rural economy. The research used a multi-stage sampling procedure in selecting 217 respondents out of 1,466 displaced rural households. Multiple methods of primary data collection were employed, including structured questionnaires, observation, and open-ended interviews. Secondary data were drawn from credible sources, which include policy briefs and reports from the National Bureau of Statistics, SBM Intelligence reports, FAO, CISLAC, Human Rights Watch, and other official repositories. Data generated were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis, with the Frustration–Aggression (FA) model as the theoretical framework. The results showed that the majority (76.5%) of the respondents were males aged 31–40 years. Also, 42.9% of the respondents were married, while 45.1% had an annual income between ₦451,000 and ₦501,000. Findings revealed that the socio-economic characteristics of Zamfara agro-pastoral communities have been seriously affected by the emergence of heightened insecurity, school closures, disruption of small businesses, and an oblivious kidnapping syndrome that led to the forced eviction of rural residents. To address these challenges, the study recommends prioritising interventions in banditry-ravaged communities through job creation, vocational skill training, and the provision of micro-credit to the youth, as well as the stationing of permanent security outfits in boarding schools and the creation of early warning systems in every community.