Bandits have asked farmers in Unguwar Jibo and Nasarawa communities in Kachia LGA of Kaduna State to raise N100,000 each as a condition to be allowed to cultivate their lands for giving information to troops about their movement and location.

A source who preferred anonymity told our reporter on Monday that aside the two villages of Unguwar Jibo and Nasarawa, farmers in three neighbouring communities of Gidan-Makeri, Hayin Dam and Dogon-Daji under Kagarko LGA were also tasked to raised N100,000 each by the bandits.

The source added that, “Apart from the N100,000 each farmer was asked to pay, the bandits also told the farmers to buy foodstuffs and drugs for them every two weeks as the second condition before they would be allowed to cultivate their farms.”

A leader in one of the communities, who preferred anonymity, confirmed the development.

He said, “If you recall, last week, some farmers in Unguwar Jibo and Nasarawa were chased away by bandits from their farms after they suspected the farmers to be behind giving information to troops about their movement.

“The problem is that 95 per cent of our people are peasant farmers. Now that they have been asked to raise N100,000 each has thrown our communities into confusion.”

The communities, therefore, called on the state government to come to their aid by deploying troops to safeguard them.

The spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, SP Hassan Mansur, was yet to react to the development. (Daily Trust)