Farmers in some communities in the eastern part of Sokoto State can no longer go to their farms pending payments of the levies imposed on them by bandits operating in the area.
It was reliably gathered that some of the communities had settled the bandits while others were working hard to raise the money. It was gathered that the bandits considered the population of each community 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 it 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.
Findings revealed that Attalawa, Danmaliki, Adamawa, Dukkuma, Sardauna and Dangari villages were asked to pay N400,000 each.
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However, residents of Kwatsal village billed N4 million and were said to have already paid N2 million out of the money to the bandits.
“All the villages were given up by Friday to pay the money or risk an attack. People are paying because they have no other option,” one of the sources added.
A member representing Sabon Birni North Constituency, Aminu Almustapha Gobir, who confirmed the development, 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.
A former Chairman of Sabon Birni Local Government Area, Idris Muhammad, however, faulted the payment of levies to bandits, saying 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 that 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.