Pay us N24m or we attack you, terrorists write 9 Zamfara communities

Terrorists have slammed N24m levies on nine communities in Bukkuyum Local Government Area of Zamfara State and demanded prompt payment or face attacks, Daily Trust gathered.

Ten days ago, the criminals operating in Gando forest attacked seven communities in Bukkuyum and Anka Local Government Areas, killing scores of residents and rustled about 2,000 cows.

The levied communities are Gaude, Tungar Gebe, Wawan Iccen Ibrahim, Wawan Iccen Salihu, Galle, Nannarki, Ruwan Kura, Gangara and Yargalma.

The levies range from N500,000 to N5m.

A resident told our correspondent that the letters were delivered to the communities through released captives.

He said the district heads, who had seen the letter, had alerted authorities about the development.

“The levied communities cut across four districts and some of the villages have started mobilizing to pay the money to avoid raids by the armed criminals,” he said.

The spokesman of the state police command, SP Muhammad Shehu, could not be reached for comment at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle yesterday said banditry would not end soon in his state because of individuals using insecurity to score political points

He was addressing State House reporters after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

He dismissed reports that over 200 persons were killed in the recent attacks in Bukuyyum and Anka areas of the state, saying 58 people were confirmed dead by the traditional leaders during his visits to the scenes in Bungudu and Anka with the security agencies.

He said “political bandits” were behind the unverified figures.

He said some people used politics to frustrate the dialogue and reconciliation he initiated between the herders and farmers. “So, they (people) went back to those bandits, telling them that the government is not serious about this dialogue, that we did not give them anything.

“So, the bandits decided to go back to their normal businesses. That’s why I backed out from the reconciliation programme. But definitely, it worked for over nine months. But because this is something that I inherited, that has been going on for almost eight years, and you don’t expect it to end within just two years of my administration. Because it’s supposed to be ongoing process.

“So, after I realized that some of them had backed out of this dialogue, then I cut off the programme.”

He said Buhari assured him on action that would be taken soon to address Zamfara insecurity.