Residents Pay Bandits N20m To Avoid Attacks (See Photos)

AMILOADED MEDIA HUB NEWS UPDATE

Residents of Gidan-goga village, in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State, allegedly paid a N20m levy imposed on them by bandit leader, Bello Turji, to stop him from attacking them.

The bandit leader had asked the villagers to pay the money on or before Sunday, November 27, or face his wrath.

A resident of the community said that the money was paid on Sunday and villagers who fled to other places, have started returning to their homes.

Zagazola Makama, a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in Lake Chad, West Africa, on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, shared photos of the residents arranging the cash.

“The people of Gidangoga town in Maradun local government in Zamfara state have collected 20 million from the community and paid to Bandit as tax to save them from attacks. Maradun LGA is the home town of the Zamfara State Governor, Alhaji Bello Matawalle,” he wrote.

He stated, “Many people, including myself, have returned to the village because of the payment of the levy. We paid additional sum of N6 million for the release of five people abducted by the terrorists who belonged to Bello Turji’s camp.”

SP Mohammed Shehu, the state Police Public Relations Officer, could not be reached on his phone for a reaction to the matter.

See Photos below;