Impact of Armed Banditry on Rural Livelihoods in Kaduna State: A Political and Socio-Economic Analysis

Abstract

Armed banditry has emerged as one of the most pressing security challenges affecting rural communities in Northern Nigeria, with Kaduna State recording rising incidents of violent attacks, displacement, and destroyed livelihoods. This study examines armed banditry and rural livelihoods in Kaduna State from a political and socio-economic perspective, anchored on Human Security Theory and Social Disorganization Theory. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with data collected through structured questionnaires administered to a sample of 399 respondents, drawn from a population of 150,000 using the Taro Yamane formula, of which 372 were correctly completed and analysed. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency counts and simple percentages). Findings show that armed banditry has significantly disrupted agricultural activities, reduced household income, and deepened food insecurity, while weak governance, unemployment, and poverty sustain its persistence.
Communities have responded through migration, informal community policing, and livelihood diversification. The study recommends strengthening rural security through community-based policing and improved intelligence gathering, expanding economic empowerment programmes to address unemployment and poverty, and fostering collaboration among government,
communities, and security agencies to protect rural livelihoods and restore stability in Kaduna State.