Tension has gripped the Bazar community and surrounding villages in Yabo Local Government Area of Sokoto State following a fresh demand by suspected bandits for the payment of a N15 million levy, with a threat to unleash deadly attacks on residents who fail to comply.

Residents said the terrorists warned that failure to pay the money could result in the destruction of farmlands and the loss of harvested produce.

A resident, Dauda Umar, confirmed the development in an interview, saying the community is living in fear after the threat.

“It’s true that the bandits demanded N15 million from us, threatening to harm our people if we don’t pay.

“They’ve attacked us before, and they know our town very well,” Umar lamented.

He narrated that the latest attack occurred on Friday night around 11:40 p.m., when the assailants invaded the town, operated freely for over an hour, and left around 1:06 a.m.

“They abducted seven people, including our village head, but later released him 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.

Umar said the community had reported the incident to security agencies but expressed concern over the delayed response.

“We’ve informed the authorities, including the police, but we need urgent help. Our people are scared, and many are already planning to abandon their farms,” he said.

Residents of Bazar and neighbouring communities appealed to the Chairman of the Yabo Local Government Area and the Sokoto State Government to intervene and strengthen security in the area.

They recalled that similar levies were previously imposed on nearby Tudun Rini and Runji villages, where bandits demanded N17 million each, retaining a growing trend of extortion and insecurity in the region.

When contacted, the Sokoto State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmed Rufai, said the command was not yet aware of the alleged levy.

He, however, assured that the police would intensify surveillance and patrols in the affected communities to ensure peace and protect residents from further attacks.

In September, the state police command arrested three suspected collaborators of bandits.

The police also recovered arms and ammunition in separate operations across the state. (The PUNCH)