Zamfara communities now pay bandits protection fees to avoid being attacked after sacking of military base

RESIDENTS in the Mutumji community of Maru Local Government Area in Zamfara State now have to pay a protection levy to bandits operating in the area to save themselves from being attacked following the sacking of the local military base about six months ago.

Zamfara has been one of the states of northwest Nigeria hardest hit by the recent spate of armed banditry that sees people abducted and killed at random. Six months ago, these bandits ransacked a military base in Mutumji communities in Maru Local Government Area and ever since then, local people have had to pay up to N40.7m ($98,000) to bandits in protection fees to safeguard themselves from attack.

Local residents said they delivered N9.7m to the bandits on February 4 as the last instalment of the levy collected from various peasant communities in the Mutumji area. Last September bandits attacked the Forward Operating Base in Mutumji, killing nine Nigeria Air Force officers, two policemen and one army personnel.

In addition, the bandits also stole weapons and other equipment before setting the base ablaze. Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdullahi, the local traditional ruler in Mutumji, said that soldiers withdrew from the area after the attack on the military base, making villages in the area a soft target for bandits.

He added that Mutumji has 47 villages with four district heads and 32 ward heads. According to Abdullahi, all the villages are now under the control of bandits and that those that chose not to pay the levy have relocated to neighbouring Kebbi and Niger states.

Alhaji Abdullahi said the deserted villages include Guru, Danfasa, Dogon-Ruwa, Tungar-Baushi, Jesa, Gazamba, Fankashi, Damkofa, Jesasarnesa, Maijankai and Gobirawar-Guru. He also identified villages that have paid the protection levy as Sabon Garin-Mahuta, which paid N6m, Randa which paid N6m, Kwanar Dutse N10m and Unguwar Kawo, N5m.

He said the Mutumji community initially paid N4m to the bandits as harvest permit, before paying the N9.7m balance of their protection levy on Monday.  According to the traditional ruler, the total amount imposed on Mutumji was N20m and local people were given one week to complete the payment.

This N40.7m paid by all the communities since last year did not include ransoms paid by individuals to the bandits for the release of kidnapped relatives. Some residents are fleeing the communities because they cannot afford to contribute the money.

A notorious terrorist Lawalli Damina, based in Dansadau Emirate, has been identified as the leader of the bandits terrorising the area. Mr Damina’s band of bandits routinely kidnap for ransom and rustle cattle in the area.