RESIDENTS of at least 26 communities in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State have reportedly begun contributing money to meet fresh levies imposed by bandits, who have also barred them from accessing their farmlands ahead of the wet season farming period.
Sources within the affected communities told News Point Nigeria that the armed groups issued a three-day ultimatum, warning farmers against visiting their farms until the demanded levies were fully paid. The development has heightened fears among residents who rely heavily on farming for their livelihoods.
The communities affected by the directive include Garin Faji, Cina Barka, Zululu, Dan Gari, Garin Maigayya, Gardi, Katsira, Garin Baushe, Sulmawa, Zakin Ganga, Dan Kware, Garje, Dogon Faru, Son Allah, Garin Galadima, Kafchi, Matabaya, Garin Labo, Zango, Kaifin Aska, Tsauna Dogo, Tudun Wada, Rambadawa, Ga Itace, Nasarawa and Garin Idi.
A resident who maintains close contact with people in the affected villages said the bandits threatened severe consequences for anyone who defied the order. According to him, farmers were warned that anyone found cultivating land during the three-day period would either be killed or abducted.
“The communities were given three days. They said nobody should go to the farms until the money is paid. Anyone caught farming would either be killed or kidnapped and would not regain freedom until a ransom of N500,000 is paid,” the resident said.
He added that many villagers had already started contributing money in an effort to comply with the demands and avoid further attacks. Residents, he said, viewed the payments as the only immediate option available to them.
A resident of Zululu village, who requested anonymity, said he was preparing to visit his farm on Friday when news of the ban reached him. According to him, the bandits informed residents that farming activities would remain suspended until all affected communities settled the annual levies imposed on them.
“We were told that the bandits had banned farming activities for three days until the villages paid the levies they impose every year,” he said.
“They said they could have allowed people to go to their farms and then kill some and abduct others, but they wanted the money instead. According to them, security operatives have been seizing their livestock, insisting that no farming would take place until the levies were paid.”
The resident further disclosed that traditional rulers and Islamic clerics from the affected communities were expected to meet with the bandits to negotiate and determine the amount each village would contribute before farming activities could resume.
He lamented that the communities had endured similar demands for years, describing the payments as a recurring burden imposed on already struggling farmers.
“We pay before planting and sometimes every two or three months. Even after paying now, they may return in about three months and say nobody should harvest millet until another levy is paid,” he said.
According to him, the bandits usually demand between N4 million and N6 million from each community. Villagers are then required to contribute according to their means, with some households paying between N1,500 and N2,000, while in other villages individual farmers contribute as much as N5,000, depending on the population size.
Another source, an indigene of Garin Idi village who currently resides in Sabon Birni town, confirmed that fundraising efforts were already underway in the affected communities. He said he visited Garin Idi on Friday to sympathise with residents after about 20 people were reportedly abducted from the community in the early hours of the day.
According to him, the bandits allegedly carried out the abduction because they believed payments were being delayed.
“They later told community leaders that N600,000 must be paid before the victims could be released. The money was raised and paid, leading to the release of the abductees on Friday,” he said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in Sokoto State, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said the command had not received any report regarding the alleged development.
“We are not aware of such a situation. Most times, communities do not report these kinds of incidents to security agencies,” he said.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Sokoto State Government were unsuccessful. Text and WhatsApp messages sent to the Governor’s spokesman, Abubakar Bawa, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Col. Ahmad Usman (rtd), seeking comments on the allegations, had not been responded to as of the time this report was filed.