Bandits kill one, abduct seven Zamfara villagers for failing to pay ‘levies’

Armed bandits have killed one person and abducted seven others in Dadah, Tukurawa and Gandamasu in Zurmi local government area of Zamfara State.

The bandits attacked the villages on Thursday night, reportedly over the villagers’ failure to pay levies imposed by the hoodlums.

Zurmi is one of the local government areas in the state worst-hit by banditry. It shares boundaries with Jibia local government of Katsina.

Some of its communities touch the dreaded Rugu forest where bandits have established fortresses.

In Thursday’s night attack, a youth leader in the area, Abdullahi Yusuf, said one person was killed while seven people were abducted in Dadah village.

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“Four of those abducted were women. What we have found out is that some of the villages did not pay levies imposed by the bandits, which led to the attacks,” he added.

He said the people of Gidan Zago had paid N800,000 imposed on them while those of Tsakauna agreed to work on the bandits’ farmlands.

Mr Yusuf said the bandits have now imposed N9 million on Takurawa, N2 million on Dadah and N2.5 million on Gidan Shaho.

He added that from what their organisation found out, the villagers have agreed to pay the money.

People of Kurunkudu village in Bakura local government area have also been reportedly paid the bandits N200,000 as levy.

Hamza Muhammad, a resident of Bakura, told Premium Times that the money was paid following an agreement between some communities and the bandits in the area.

The police spokesperson in the state, Mohammed Shehu, was unavailable for comment as at the time of filing this report as he did not pick calls or or reply text messages sent to his phone number.