THE IMPACT OF BANDITRY ACTIVITIES AND FOOD PRODUCTION IN KATSINA-ALA LOCAL GOVERNMNET AREA OF BENUE STATE

The study examined the impact of banditry activities on food production in Katsina-Ala local government of Benue State. Survey design was used as a methodology for the study. Primary and secondary sources of data collection were used for the study. The study adopted the frustration aggression theory as propounded by John Dollard, Neal Miller, Leonard Doob. Orval Mowrer and Robert Sears in 1939 and further developed by Neal Miller in 194land Leonard Berkowitz in 1961. The theory postulates that the youths are frustrated as they see past and present political leaders' live lives of affluence, while they are jobless, uneducated, and poverty stricken with no hope. Thus, they become easy prey to be mobilized as terrorist groups (Armed Bandits), who claim to be fighting injustice meted to them by corrupt leaders, especially those ones that have been corrupted from true tenets of Islam by their exposure to western education. Hence, they take out their frustration on government institutions and those who do not join in their fight against the "evil" system. The findings of the study revealed that, In Katsina-Ala, various forms of insecurity such as insurgency and banditry have negative impacts on food production in the LGA. This attack portends danger to food security as many farmers are very scared to go to their farms to engage in irrigation farming among other food producing activities. The implications of the impacts means that, there is reduction in the number of farmers due to their killings, there is impoverishment of farmers due to kidnappings, farmers are not willing to go to their farmlands as they will be chased out, cattle rearing has become difficult, there is reduction in the quantity of crops stored in grain silos, there are risks of attacks when farmers visit local weekly markets and many farmers have become dependent on food provided either at IDP camps or at the houses of friends and relatives. These clearly indicate the negative impacts of banditry on food security in Benue state. The negative impacts have also completely affected the farming schedules of both rainfed and irrigation farming in the state. The effort made by the government and local authorities towards curbing the unprecedented level of banditry activities in Katsina-Ala LGA is not satisfactory as responses from local and national authorities have proven mostly ineffective. The study in line with these findings recommended that, the task of crime prevention and control is not that of the security agents alone as all hands must be on desk so as to achieve effective peace and order. Thus, a comprehensive security strategy that greatly involves the stakeholders and citizens must be urgently put in place so as to effectively tackle armed robbery and other sundry crimes militating national security and development.