Dare-devil bandits have imposed a staggering N60 million levy on no fewer than t12 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 on his verified X handle on Tuesday, warning that the situation could escalate if an immediate government action is not taken.
Former councillor of Dankurmi Ward, Hon. Iliyasu Salisu Dankurmi, also confirmed the levy in an interview with BBC Hausa.
He explained that 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.
He further revealed that eight residents of the Zargado community had already been kidnapped, and their release had been tied to payment of the ransom.
Many residents say they are trapped between the threat of bandits attacks and a lack of adequate protection from the authorities.
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.
So far, there has been no official statement from the Nigerian Army nor the Zamfara State government regarding the levy or recent military operations in the region.
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.
BREAKING: Bandits have imposed a N60m levy on 12 Zamfara communities: Koloma, Dan Hayin Zargado, Zargado, Dan Godabe, Sabuwar Tunga, Makini, Bubaka, Yelwa, Bahwada, Koda, Manya & Kabusu for allegedly aiding military raids. Residents fear attacks if they don’t pay.@___Bils @woye1 pic.twitter.com/uki0NDj2yV
— Bakatsine (@DanKatsina50) April 21, 2025
SaharaReporters reported days ago how the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) described the wave of killings in Plateau State, Zamfara and Benue as a “national disgrace and a clear failure of governance.”
In a press release signed by its National Coordinator, Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, the CNG had expressed outrage over the killings of more than 100 people in Plateau in recent weeks, with entire communities razed and thousands displaced.
“The recent massacre in Plateau State, where over 100 lives were brutally cut short, represents a grotesque failure of governance.
“These killings are not isolated. They form part of a broader pattern of insecurity spanning Boko Haram terrorism in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, and ethno-religious violence in the North-Central,” the statement read.
The group had accused the Nigerian government of inaction and demanded urgent, decisive steps to stop the bloodshed. It called for the immediate deployment of reinforced security personnel to flashpoints across Plateau State and other northern regions facing similar threats.
CNG had also condemned President Bola Tinubu’s reported foreign travels during the crisis, likening the President’s actions to “Nero fiddling while Rome is burning.”
Source: Sahara Reporters