Sokoto bandits imposes levy on communities, warns of imminent attack for failure to pay

Tension rose on Wednesday as bandits have reportedly imposed levies on some communities in Sokoto State and have given them Friday, 29th as deadline or risk attack of unimaginable proportion.

CAPITAL POST recalled that bandits have massively relocated to Sokoto State following the ongoing onslaught by the Nigerian government in the nearby State of Zamfara which has been on for weeks now.

Bandits have also barred farmers from accessing their farms pending when payment might have been made as demanded.

Source speaking on the development, though under secret revealed some communities have taken their fate into their hands and have started making payments out of fear of attack.

The levy, it was gathered, was dependent lol n population strength of each community, adding that
Attalawa, Danmaliki, Adamawa, Dukkuma, Sardauna and Dangari villages were asked to pay N400,000 each.

“Some are asked to pay N400,000, some N700,000 while some even pay less than that and is left for the community to decide how the money will be raised.

“In some communities, heads of households are asked to pay N12,000 each and young men that are not married pay N1,000 each,” another source said.

So far, Kwatsai villagers have paid N2 million, out of N4 million they were levied by bandits.

“All the villages were given up to Friday to pay the money or risk attack. People are paying because they have no other option,” one of the sources added.

A lawmaker representing Sabon Birni North Constituency, Aminu Almustapha Gobir, pointed out that some villagers have started payment, emphasising that it wasn’t wrong as long they would be allowed to live, stressing that Sabon Birni in recent times hasn’t been attacked.

“The people prefer to pay and live in peace in their communities than to rely on security agencies or go on exile,” he said.

“We have different groups of bandits in the area,but if you pay a levy to this group how sure are you the other group will not attack you?”

“The same scenario unfolded in Gatawa and Tarah, which were attacked and several of their people abducted by different groups of bandits. Their relatives had to pay ransom to those different groups before their release.