A staggering levy of N172.7 million has been imposed on 25 villages in the Tsafe West region of Zamfara state by gunmen, allegedly led by the notorious bandit leader Danisuhu.
According to a report from Zagazola Makama, a counterinsurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad area, the bandits are also demanding in-kind contributions, including bags of soybeans, with threats of violence against those who fail to comply. The financial and material demands have forced hundreds of villagers to abandon their homes and livelihoods in fear of retribution.
The targeted villages and their respective levies include Gijinzama (N8.5 million), Dakolo (N5 million + 20 bags of soybeans), Gunja (N7 million), Kauyen Kane (N5 million), Kurar Mota (N6 million), Sabon Garin Bakin Gulbi (N2.5 million), and several others, with some villages facing demands as high as N20 million.
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Residents, fearing brutal attacks for non-compliance, have been fleeing their communities, leaving behind their farmlands and homes. Despite improvements in security along major roads like the Funtua-Tsafe axis, these efforts have not reached the rural areas of Tsafe West, where the bandits continue to hold sway.
Local sources describe the situation as dire, with villagers calling for increased security presence and permanent posts in the area, as well as emergency relief for those displaced by the violence.
