Residents of the Bazar community and surrounding villages in the Yabo Local Government Area of Sokoto State have raised an alarm over a N15 million levy allegedly imposed on them by suspected armed bandits.
The communities are located within the Sokoto South Senatorial District and are currently represented by the former Governor of the state, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
Some of the community members said the bandits had warned that failure to pay the ransom could lead to a series of violent attacks on the communities.
One of the residents, Dauda Umar, confirmed the development in an interview with journalists. He described the situation as dire and in need of the government’s attention. “It is true that the bandits demanded N15 million from us, threatening to cause harm if we don’t comply. I don’t have direct knowledge of their next move, but the levy has already been imposed, and some people are discussing how to raise the money.”
According to him, the latest attack occurred on a Friday night around 11:40 p.m. and lasted until about 1:06 a.m. “They abducted seven people during the raid, but later released our village head and five others after warning them not to report the incident. They also looted shops and carted away goods worth millions of naira,” he added.
The residents also appealed to the Chairman of Yabo Local Government Area and the Sokoto State Government to strengthen security in the affected areas to prevent imminent loss of lives and property.
“We have reported to the authorities, including the police, but we still need more support to tackle this threat,” he further said.
