A farmer in Benue State says suspected bandits demand N500,000 before he is allowed to access and harvest his crops. The reports name the farmer as a resident of Mbagena Council Ward in Kastina-Ala Local Government Area, where bandits have allegedly been terrorising residents and seeking payments.
One outlet reports that the farmer abandons his farmland after the demand, indicating he cannot safely return to his farm under the threat. Another focuses on the ransom demand itself and describes it as part of broader intimidation affecting members of the community in the same locality. Both accounts attribute the incident to local bandits and place it in Kastina-Ala, but neither outlet discloses the farmer’s name or provides details of any arrests or official response.
