Farmers in Atabo and nearby communities in Niger State‘s Magama Local Government Area have voiced worry after what are said to be bandit threats to tax them before granting permission for the dry season harvest of their crops.
According to reports, on Tuesday, assailants broke into the Atabo neighborhood and kidnapped Alhaji Mairabo, the village chief, and Usman, his younger brother.
A resident from the community told newsmen that the village head was released on Wednesday while abductors held on to the younger brother.
“They released the village head on Wednesday and he was told to inform the family of his younger brother to pay N7 million ransom. They also told him that if this ransom was not paid on time, they would not allow us to harvest our crops this dry season until we pay tax. As I speak with you, some people have fled their homes since Tuesday’s attack,” he said.
Following the end of the rainy season, terrorism and banditry have recently returned to prominence in some villages in Niger state. The gunmen could not cross from Kebbi and Kaduna states into towns in neighbouring Niger state due to the rivers’ overflowing banks during the height of the rainy season.
Investigations, however, showed that the rivers’ water levels have dropped significantly, making it feasible for the assailants to infiltrate the State.
Over 30 people have been kidnapped and at least 11 people have been killed in the past two weeks. According to reports, the bandits also went berserk in the Munya Local Government District’s Kuchi area, where they kidnapped at least 30 locals.
Villagers, mostly farmers, have tax-signed agreements with the terrorists in Zamfara’s rural areas. As long as they pay extravagant taxes to support the terrorist operations of their oppressors, they are free to work in their fields and live in peace. A coordinated mass kidnapping or murder is the punishment for disobeying the demands of the robbers.