Bandits
have reportedly begun imposing levies on the residents of eastern part of
Sokoto State, with the assailants asking them to pay the money before next
Friday or they would be attacked.
The locals
are also barred from their farms by the bandits pending payment of the
prescribed levies, a resident revealed.
According
to Daily Trust, some of the communities had settled the bandits while others
were working hard to raise the money.
The
population of each community is said to be considered in determining the
amounts they would pay.
“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 N2,000 each and young men
that are not married pay N1,000 each,” another source said.
According
to the report, Attalawa, Danmaliki, Adamawa, Dukkuma, Sardauna and Dangari
villages were asked to pay N400,000 each. While residents of Kwatsal village
billed N4million were said to have already paid N2million out of the money to
the 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.
Confirming
the development was a member representing Sabon Birni North Constituency, Aminu
Almustapha Gobir, who said there had been no attack in Sabon Birni in recent
times because the locals were complying with the directive of the bandits.
“The people
prefer to pay and live in peace in their communities than to rely on security
agencies or go on exile,” he said.
However, a
former Chairman of Sabon Birni Local Government Area, Idris Muhammad, however,
frown at the payment of levies to bandits, stressing that doing so would not
guarantee people’s safety.
“We have
different groups of bandits in the area, 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.
“This is
what will continue to happen, if one group places a levy on you and you pay,
another group will come to either attack you or demand for levy again and you
must pay them or face the consequences,” he said.
The
spokesman for the police in Sokoto, ASP Sanusi Abubakar, and the Commissioner
for Security and Carriers Matters, Colonel Garba Moyi (retd), didn't respond to
several calls placed across to them including text messages sent to them.
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