Kaduna: How House Agents, Shylock Landlords Exploit Banditry Victims

For families forced to abandon their homes by bandits’ attacks and threats of kidnapping in Kaduna State, escaping danger is only the beginning of another struggle: finding affordable accommodation in safer communities.

From Rido Village and Bagado to Angwan Makama, Oil Village, and settlements behind the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company, insecurity has compelled some residents to leave homes they built or occupied for years and seek refuge elsewhere in the state.

Their search for safety has exposed them and others to another source of distress, with some unscrupulous house agents and landlords allegedly exploiting the growing demand for accommodation to impose exorbitant rents and charges.

Communities such as Sabo, Karji, Janruwa, Mahuta, Barnawa and Narayi have become among the areas where displaced residents seek alternative accommodation, putting additional pressure on families already burdened by insecurity, economic hardship and the possibility of losing their livelihoods.

A recent report by LEADERSHIP Newspapers documented how residents around Bagado and Millennium City were increasingly afraid of remaining in their homes as kidnappings spread into their communities.

One resident told this Correspondent that his family had abandoned his house and relocated to a rented apartment in Barnawa, explaining that they considered relocation preferable to the trauma and financial consequences of a possible kidnapping.

“We have moved to Barnawa. Unfortunately, the two-bedroom flat that ab initio was about N300,000, now costs about N700,000,” he said.

The experience illustrated the difficult choices facing residents who must weigh the emotional and financial costs of leaving their homes against the risks of remaining in communities where they feel unsafe.

“Money invested over years in building a house may no longer provide the security and comfort intended for us, as it is the tradition.

“While the cost of renting elsewhere adds another expense to household budgets, we just have no option, at least for now.

“Understandably, if the house is new, one could reason the high cost of building materials.

“But these are old houses,” he said.

For tenants, the burden is equally severe. Families must find money for rent, agency and other charges, transportation and, in some cases, additional security arrangements, even as insecurity disrupts businesses, employment and other sources of income.

The situation is unfolding against the backdrop of Nigeria’s housing shortage.

The Federal Government’s National Housing Data Technical Committee estimated Nigeria’s housing deficit at 14.925 million units in 2025, underscoring the scale of the challenge facing efforts to provide adequate and affordable accommodation nationwide.

With the supply of affordable housing already under pressure, sudden displacement can increase demand in relatively safer neighbourhoods, creating opportunities for some property owners and agents to demand higher prices.

In Kaduna, the consequences of rising rents were already evident before the latest wave of reported displacement.

A 2025 report by LEADERSHIP Newspapers found that rents had increased significantly in areas including Karji, Narayi and Barnawa, compared with areas such as Rigachikun, Kawo and Mando.

The newspaper reported that a self-contained room that previously cost between N100,000 and N150,000 was being offered for between N300,000 and N350,000 in some locations.

For households fleeing insecurity, such prices can turn the search for safety into a financial crisis.

Although not every landlord or agent engages in exploitative practices, those who impose unreasonable charges on desperate families risk compounding the suffering caused by banditry.

The Kaduna State House of Assembly is considering a bill sponsored by its Speaker, Yusuf Dahiru Liman, to regulate residential rent charges.

According to a September 2026 report by BusinessDay, the proposed legislation was before the relevant committee, with a public hearing intended to gather input from tenants, landlords and other stakeholders.

Kaduna already has a Landlord and Tenant Law enacted in 2018.

However, the proposed legislation has renewed attention on the need to address rising rents and protect tenants against excessive demands.

For the bill to make a meaningful difference, stakeholders will need to consider transparent agency fees, clear tenancy agreements, effective complaint mechanisms and enforceable safeguards against arbitrary charges.

The state government must also address the security crisis forcing residents from their homes.

Rent regulation alone cannot restore the safety of communities abandoned because of kidnapping threats.

Ultimately, families should not have to choose between remaining in dangerous neighbourhoods and surrendering a substantial part of their income to secure accommodation elsewhere.

The responsibility for protecting residents extends beyond rescuing abducted persons and arresting suspects.

It also requires helping affected communities recover and ensuring that displacement does not expose victims to further exploitation.

For Kaduna residents driven from their homes by banditry, safety should not come at the price of financial ruin.