Four communities in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State have been deserted after 110 people were kidnapped by bandits for refusing to pay N110 million monthly dues to a notorious bandit boss.
PUNCH Online reports that bandits invaded four local government villages on Friday evening and kidnapped 110 people for allegedly refusing to pay the N110 million levy levied by the notorious bandit boss.
A local in the area, Ibrahim Mohammed, told PUNCH Online over the phone that residents of the four villages of Mutumji, Kwana, Mahuta and Unguwar Kawo fled to Balele town for safety as the bandit leader sent a letter saying his announced return and kidnap more people if the N110 million levy was not paid within a week.
“We have to flee to other places because we fear that after kidnapping 110 people, the bandit leader sent a warning letter to us that we have to pay the levy within a week, otherwise he would send his men to kidnap.” more people,” he said.
Mohammed explained that the leader of the bandits had ordered each of the four communities to pay a certain amount of money to clear the N110 million.
According to him, Mutumji village should pay N50 million, Kwana N30 million, Mahuta N20 million and Unguwar Kawo N10 million.
According to Mohammed, the four villages are currently deserted and emphasizes that there are only animals and sick people with nowhere to go.
“The only thing you will see when you go to these villages are the animals and the sick or the elderly who cannot migrate to other places,” he added.
Mohammed said the bandits’ leader had collected levies in the four villages and complained that the authorities were aware of their plight but could do nothing to protect them.
He said: “We have been paying dues to bandits just because we have no one to protect us and we have reported this issue to both the state and local governments but nothing has been done.”
“We continue to call on the federal government to help us.
“We have been in a terrible situation for the last four years.
“We are yet to harvest our crops because we have not been able to settle the 110 million naira that the bandits imposed on us.”
All attempts by PUNCH Online to speak to the Spokesperson of the State Police Command, ASP Yazid Abubakar, failed as he could not be reached on phone.