Scourge of Rural Banditry and Food Security in Nigeria’s North-West: The Economic Implications

Abstract

A considerable amount of research attentions on rural banditry-food security nexus have heavily underlined that rural banditry is a major threat to food security. Despite prior evidence and contributions, scourge of rural banditry is still very much pervasive particularly in the Nigeria’s north-west region. Plethora of studies lack economic implications and distinct recommendations capable of producing sustainable solutions to the scourge of banditry and food crisis in Nigeria. Consequently, the current study provides an anecdotal analysis of rural banditry-food security effect with a view to offer economic implications and clear-cut recommendations capable of generating lasting and sustainable solutions to forestall scourge of banditry and food crisis in Nigeria’s north-west region. Relying on exegesis of relevant secondary sources, the paper posits that rural banditry disrupts agricultural activities, creates food crisis and distorts economic activities of the rural dwellers in the study area. Therefore, this study recommends that government at all levels should declare war against bandits. The security forces together with the collaboration of vigilantes must confront the bandits, continuously hit hard their hideout, and crush them with their sponsors recklessly. Besides, death penalty should be meted out on any perpetrators and accomplices of banditry found guilty regardless of their economic and socio-political status while payment of kidnap ransom should be discouraged, and possibly criminalized, so as to discourage quest kidnapping. Above all, governments should pursue national food policy which seeks to assure all citizens access to food supply that is reasonably priced, relatively safe, adequate in quantity, and nutritious to meet dietary needs for an active and healthy life. When this is achieved, scourge of rural banditry and food crisis will become extinct in Nigeria’s north-west.