Effects of banditry security risk on livelihood of cattle herders in Katsina State, Nigeria

Livestock enterprise is an important source of livelihood to many people in Nigeria.  Vulnerability of livestock business to insecurity risk is a major threat to the livelihood of stakeholders in the livestock value chain (cattle herders and marketers).  Insecurity risk among livestock herders has a ripple effect in the economy of Nigeria.  Empirical information is scanty for the clarification and development in security risk control model especially with the emergence of banditry in Nigeria.  This study broadly examines the effect of insecurity risk on the livelihood of livestock herders in Katsina State, Nigeria.  Primary data obtained with the use of structured questionnaire from randomly selected 200 respondents were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistical tools (mean, frequency distribution table, probability and multiple regression).  The result shows that the probability of banditry attack was 20%.  The major benefit derivable from livestock business by herders is income generation.  The major cause of banditry insecurity was unresolved conflict between farmers and herdsmen (100%), unemployment/deliberate negative tendency of bandits to climb wealth ladder (93.5%) and corruption among government officials (93%).  Test of hypothesis indicates that all the insecurity indicators (cattle rustling, theft, kidnapping and tax imposition) negatively and significantly (P < 0.05) affected livelihood capital (asset) (income savings and herd size).  There are sufficient evidence to conclude that livelihood capital of cattle herders is worst hit by banditry insecurity risk in Katsina State, Nigeria.  It was recommended that government should adopt amnesty policy of disarmament, reintegration and rehabilitation of repentant bandits. This study has expanded the frontier of literature of the ripple effects of banditry insecurity on cattle value chain and implications for policy options.