Dare-devil bandits have imposed a staggering N60 million levy on 12 communities in Zamfara State, accusing residents of aiding recent military operations that disrupted their strongholds.
The affected communities include Koloma, Dan Hayin Zargado, Zargado, Dan Godabe, Sabuwar Tunga, Makini, Bubaka, Yelwa, Bahwada, Koda, Manya, and Kabusu.
Locals fear that refusal to comply may lead to violent reprisals, including mass abductions, arson, and killings. A security reporter, Bakatsine, disclosed the development, warning that the situation could escalate if immediate government action is not taken.
Former councillor of Dankurmi Ward, Hon. Iliyasu Salisu Dankurmi, confirmed the levy, saying the demand followed recent military raids in the area believed to have inflicted heavy losses on the armed groups. “The Nigerian Army had recently raided the area, and the bandits are now demanding N60million as compensation. They have threatened to make life unbearable if we don’t pay,” Dankurmi said.
Eight residents of the Zargado community have already been kidnapped, and their release has been tied to payment of the ransom. Community leaders are urgently calling on federal and state governments, as well as security agencies, to intervene before the situation spirals further out of control.
The crisis in Zamfara is part of a broader pattern of insecurity plaguing Nigeria’s Northwest, where rural communities have faced years of terror from well-armed gangs engaging in kidnapping, extortion, and deadly raids.
