Residents of Bakale village in Kilgori district, Yabo Local Government Area of Sokoto State, are gripped with fear after armed bandits issued a stark ultimatum demanding a ₦20 million levy to avert deadly attacks.
In an audio recording obtained by our reporter, the leader of the armed group was heard instructing the village head to convene a meeting and deliver their latest demand to the people.
The bandit, whose voice dominated the recording, questioned the traditional ruler about an earlier directive:
“Did you meet with them? Did they agree to obey your command?” he asked.
When the village head confirmed compliance, the bandit ordered him to gather the residents once more and announce the newly imposed levy.
“We don’t want to attack you. That is why we decided to impose this levy,” he said. “If you pay, I promise you will continue to live in peace. We will not allow any group to attack your community or kidnap your people. But if you fail to pay, we will attack you, kill you, and abduct your people. This is our message.”
A community leader, who spoke anonymously for safety reasons, confirmed that similar levies had already been imposed on several neighbouring villages.
The affected communities—stretching across Kilgori and Torankawa districts—include Bazar, Alkalije, Gari, Bakale, Dagel, Adarawa, Kwaidaza, Kilgori Runji, Tudu, Tile, Kibiyare, and Barmadu, among others.
According to the source, the levies range from ₦3 million to ₦20 million, depending on the population and perceived economic strength of each settlement.
He also revealed that the terror is not new, noting that six people were recently killed in Alkalije and four more in Tile during separate attacks just two weeks ago.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the Sokoto State Police Command proved unsuccessful, as the command’s spokesperson, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, did not respond to multiple calls placed by our reporter.
