According to a report by The PUNCH, as many as five villages in Zamfara State’s Gusau Local Government Area have been abandoned as a result of bandit raids that allegedly collect levies from the inhabitants.
Karazau Dantsauni, Gidan-tsamiya, Gurgurawa, Kwalaye, and Gudan-kaura are among the villages affected.
Musa Sani, a resident of the region, said they had donated and paid the robbers’ N15 million fee, but the thugs were demanding more money.
He said, “The bandits told us to give them N15m so that they would not attack us again. We sold some of our belongings including our farms and paid the sum but to our surprise, they are still insisting that they need more money. We informed the security agents about this sad development but nothing was done to prevent the bandits from taxing us.
“We even staged a peaceful protest in order to draw the attention of the security agents to come to our rescue but unfortunately some of our people were arrested by the police. So, we have to leave our villages and look for safe places because these heartless bandits can still come back to attack us.”
Sani claimed that 35 individuals, including women and children, were kidnapped and transported to the bandits’ hideaway after refusing to flee the region.
He claimed that the bandits had killed more than ten people in Karazau village alone, and that his younger brother, Ali, was one of the victims.
He urged security agents to come to their aid and dispatch sufficient security men.
SP Mohammed Shehu, the state police spokeswoman, claimed there had been no official complaint about the bandits enforcing the fee on the communities.
He added that the police leadership had assigned security officers to secure the locations in the previous month.
Sani claimed that 35 individuals, including women and children, were kidnapped and transported to the bandits’ hideaway after refusing to flee the region.
He claimed that the bandits had killed more than ten people in Karazau village alone, and that his younger brother, Ali, was one of the victims.
He urged security agents to come to their aid and dispatch sufficient security men.
SP Mohammed Shehu, the state police spokeswoman, claimed there had been no official complaint about the bandits enforcing the fee on the communities.
He added that the police leadership had assigned security officers to secure the locations in the previous month.
Source; NaijaOnPoint.com
