Abstract

The study examined rural banditry, causes and its perceived effect on the rural economy in Kamuku forest in Birnin Gwari local government area of Kaduna State. It used quantitative tool (questionnaire) to collect data from 300 randomly selected respondents (i.e. 30 respondents each from 10 districts in Birnin Gwari LGA while qualitative data (in-depth interview) were sourced from ten (10) knowledgeable informants (i.e. one each from the ten districts purposively selected). Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The result shows that 72.3% were male respondents and 88.2% had attained the age of 30 to 45years while 69.3% respondents were married and they had 6 to 15 children. Facilitating factors to rural banditry were poverty (57.2%), greed (11.9%), corruption (18.3%), and poor security (12.6%). Overwhelming proportion (92.2%) of the respondents indicated that bandits are prevented them from farming (27.4%), hunting (25.7%), obtaining forest food (14.3%), firewood and medicinal herbs (24.8%) while 67.4% of the respondents agreed that rural banditry affects the rural economy. The results further reveal that the presence of ?Kamuku? forest makes rural bandits to have safe haven to engage in cattle rustling in Birnin Gwari LGA. This study indicated also that the presence of security personnel had not yielded the desired result as these bandits still steal or loot their farm produce/livestock, indiscriminately kidnap women and children particularly girls as well as commit crimes such as armed robbery, rape in the community. This study recommended that security operatives should keep on carrying routine patrol and go into the interior part of the forest for proper policing. It was also suggested that the concerned individuals, stakeholders, Kaduna State government and non-governmental organizations should work hand-in-hand to get rid of activities of rural bandits in the study area.

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