Author(s) :

Ngozi Thelma Mohammed , Baba Andrew Gaiya.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

This study examines the nexus between armed banditry and food security in Kaduna State, Nigeria, with a focused analysis of three affected local government areas: Kajuru, Birnin Gwari, and Kubau. Drawing on the frameworks of Routine Activity Theory and the Human Security concept, the study interrogates the multidimensional pathways through which banditry undermines food production, distribution, access, and consumption in the selected local government areas. Employing a qualitative research design anchored on secondary data sources, the paper finds that the persistent activities of armed bandits have resulted in mass displacement of farming communities, destruction of farmlands, rustling of livestock, disruption of rural markets, and blockage of food supply routes, collectively producing acute food insecurity across the three local government areas. The study establishes that Birnin Gwari, and Kajuru, which historically constitute significant agricultural zones in Kaduna State, have witnessed extraordinary levels of community sacking, farmland abandonment, and food price inflation directly attributable to banditry. It further reveals that state and federal government responses, including military operations and humanitarian interventions, have achieved limited success due to the adaptive operational strategies of armed bandits and the structural vulnerabilities of affected communities. The paper concludes with policy recommendations centred on integrated security governance, rural livelihood restoration, and community-based early warning systems as necessary conditions for restoring food security in the affected areas. Keywords: Banditry, Food Security, Agricultural Disruption, Livelihood Vulnerability

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