Paying to stay alive: Nigeria’s forgotten villages extorted by bandits
By Abubakar Auwal & Yusha’u A. Ibrahim
Residents across Zamfara State are being extorted by armed bandits who demand levies running into hundreds of millions of naira in exchange for allowing the people to remain in their homes, findings by Daily Trust have revealed.
The levies, enforced under the threat of abduction, violence or death, have left communities in state of fear and financial ruin.
Since January 2025, it was gathered that over N500 million has been paid by various communities to different bandit groups in a desperate bid to avoid attacks.
In January alone, the late bandit kingpin, Isuhu Yellow, imposed a N172.7 million levy on 25 villages, including demands for agricultural produce.
For instance, Gijinzama village was charged N8.5 million, Dakolo N5 million plus 20 bags of beans, Kibari, Kunchin Kalgo N20 million, Sungawa N15 million, and Yalwa N2.7 million, among others.
Shortly after, another notorious bandit leader, Dogo Gide, demanded N100 million from 23 communities in Tsafe LGA, prompting mass displacement.
The affected communities included Kunchin-Kalgo (N20m), Sungawa (N15m), Rakyabu (N15m), and Kwaren Mai-Saje (N10m).
More recently, on Sunday, April 20, bandits issued a fresh demand of N60 million from residents of Dankurmi village in Maru LGA.
According to locals, they were given until Wednesday to comply or face dire consequences-yet kidnappings had already commenced before the deadline.
A former councillor, Hon. Iliyasu Salisu Dankurmi, told BBC Hausa that the levy followed a military operation in the area.
“The army recently raided the area, and the bandits are now demanding N60 million as compensation. They have threatened to make life unbearable if we don’t pay,” he said.
He also revealed that eight people had already been abducted from the Zargado community, with their release contingent upon payment.
The village head of Dankurmi, Alhaji Sani Usman, identified other affected areas to include Manya, Kaboso, Yalwa, Bafadan Makini, Huda, Dargazo, Danhayan-Dargazo, and Koloma.
He noted that the bandits were enraged by a forest fire-believed to have been caused by residents-and are punishing neighbouring villages collectively.
‘Levies drain our resources’
A resident of Kwalfada village in Tsafe Local Government Area, who requested anonymity, confirmed that bandits have been imposing levies on several villages in the area.
He said, “This is the third levy in three months. The first one, we paid N8 million, the second was N7 million, and recently they placed a N4 million levy on us. Wallahi, we are completely broke in this village-bandits have taken everything we have.
“I don’t think you can find a single resident in this village with N20,000 in cash. We’ve exhausted all our resources paying these levies.
“In recent days, the bandits have stormed our village with their stolen cows. As I speak to you, the cows have taken over our houses, and no one dares to chase them out. They brought the cows from a nearby village, fearing an attack by soldiers. They are now taking shelter among residents in villages close to the forest.”
Also speaking to Daily Trust on the phone, a resident of Dan Jibga village, who identified himself as Muhammad Dogo, said the bandits have imposed a N10 million levy on the Gama Lafiya community after killing two persons – one on Sunday and another on Monday.
Dogo further revealed that other villages affected by the levies include Unguwar Tofa (N26.6 million), Makera (N15 million), Sungawa (N20 million), Rakyabu (N7 million), Yalwa (N8 million), Kwarin Mai Saje (N11 million), and Langa-Langa, where the levy ranges between N20 million and N30 million.
He added that Gidan Dawa, Rijiyar Tsakar Dawa, Dan Jibga, and Bilbis villages have also been levied by the bandits.
Malam Ibrahim Maru, a resident of Mara town in Maru Local Government Area, lamented that the issue of banditry has worsened significantly in the Maru axis in recent days.
He said, “The road from Talata Mafara to Maru town has become a death trap for many travellers. Commercial drivers have stopped using the road after 4 p.m.
“Once it’s 4 p.m., it becomes nearly impossible to find a driver willing to take passengers from Maru to Talata Mafara. Recently, I travelled from Talata Mafara to Maru for a condolence visit, but upon arrival in Maru, we were advised to turn back.
“This axis is no longer safe. Bandits have resumed their activities, operating both day and night. They have kidnapped several people, including women and children, in various villages and are imposing levies on dozens of communities.”
We are being driven out by levies – Dansadau residents
In Dansadau, another volatile area, residents lamented that the levies are forcing families to flee.
A resident who spoke under anonymity described the crisis as “a double tragedy”.
“We are extorted by both bandits and security forces. When we request military assistance, they claim they have no fuel unless we contribute. By the time help arrives, the bandits are gone,” he said.
He added that Kabaro village, after being deserted, was asked to pay N6 million to return-later increased to N10.5 million, with an extra N500,000 allegedly requested for ‘recharge cards’ to facilitate communication with the criminals.
“In another village just 1.5km from Dansadau, the initial demand was N5 million. It was negotiated down to N3 million, but while returning from the bandits’ camp, residents were robbed of their phones and money by another group,” he said.
He also said more than 300,000 hectares of farmland-around 60% of Dansadau’s cultivable land-have been abandoned as farmers flee to other states in search of work.
“Dansadau used to account for nearly 40% of Zamfara’s agricultural output. That is no longer the case. Just last Saturday, I was in a truck with about 300 farmers relocating to Gusau to work as labourers,” the source said.
He also decried the high cost of travel and goods in the area, accusing security personnel of collecting bribes at checkpoints.
“It costs N5,000 to travel from Dansadau to Gusau-about 100km-the same distance from Gusau to Funtua, which costs N3,000. The difference is because drivers have to pay soldiers for escort,” he claimed.
Police plan to establish bases in high-risk communities
The Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Maikaba, said the police are doing their best to discourage villagers from paying levies to bandits.
“We are doing our very best to protect residents in banditry-prone villages. Currently, we have deployed combined security teams comprising the police, soldiers, community protection guards (CPGs), and local hunters.
“We are also planning to establish permanent security bases in villages frequently attacked by bandits. We have already set up one in Keita village in Tsafe, and the area is now secure.
“The state government has pledged to provide logistics and other support to strengthen our operations. By God’s will, we will overcome the bandits. I urge the residents of Zamfara State to continue providing us with useful information that can help in tracking these criminals,” he said.
He added that the recent spike in bandit attacks in Zamfara is linked to an attempt by a notorious bandit leader, Dogo Gide, to relocate to Zamfara from Katsina State.
“Gide is under intense pressure from Nigerian troops in Katsina and tried to move into Zamfara. However, he faced resistance from our team stationed in Keita, Tsafe Local Government Area,” Maikaba added.
‘Community guards supporting military to fight bandits’
The media aide to Governor Dauda Lawal, Alhaji Suleiman Idris, said as part of ongoing efforts to tackle insecurity in parts of the state, the Zamfara State Government is equipping all police divisions, military formations, and other security agencies with patrol vehicles, including armoured vehicles.
He emphasised that a critical component of the state’s security strategy is the deployment of the state-owned Community Protection Guards (CPG) to all 14 local government areas.
The CPGs, being locals familiar with the terrain, are deployed to support the operations of the military and other security agencies, he said.
“This collaboration between the military and the CPG has led to a significant decline in banditry across several previously volatile areas,” Idris said.
In response to the escalating security challenges, a security expert, Squadron Leader Aminu Bala Sokoto (rtd.), has called for the strategic deployment of well-armed community protection guards to complement conventional security forces.
The retired Air Force officer said the Nigerian security forces are overstretched due to widespread insecurity across the country.
“Our security operatives are overwhelmed. There’s insecurity in nearly every region, and we simply don’t have enough personnel to go around,” Bala Sokoto said.
He urged the state government to take proactive measures by recruiting additional community protection guards, equipping them adequately, and deploying them to high-risk areas where the threat level remains high.
Bala Sokoto also advocated for sustained support from the military, particularly the Nigerian Army and the Air Force, to reinforce local security efforts.
“These terrorists appear to have a deep fear of fighter jets and helicopters. Deploying community guards backed by coordinated air and ground military support is, in my view, the most effective strategy to confront this threat,” he said.
