Twelve communities in Zamfara State are reportedly facing fresh threats from armed groups who have allegedly imposed a ₦60 million levy on them. The demand is said to be linked to accusations that the communities assisted military operations in the region.
The report was made public by Bakatsine, a conflict and crisis journalist covering Nigeria’s northwest, in a post on X (formerly Twitter). According to his findings, the affected communities include Koloma, Dan Hayin Zargado, Zargado, Dan Godabe, Sabuwar Tunga, Makini, Bubaka, Yelwa, Bahwada, Koda, Manya, and Kabusu.
“These communities are being threatened with attacks unless they pay the demanded amount,” Bakatsine stated, adding that the bandits accused the locals of providing intelligence to security forces conducting raids in the area.
The situation underscores the growing insecurity across parts of northern Nigeria, where non-state armed groups have continued to exert control over rural populations through extortion, abductions, and violence. In recent months, similar incidents have been reported, raising concerns about the effectiveness of ongoing security efforts.
While the state government and security agencies have yet to issue an official statement on the latest development, residents in the affected areas are said to be living in fear of reprisals.
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This incident adds to a troubling trend of criminal elements demanding ransoms or imposing levies on communities. In one widely publicized case last year, even in February 2025 the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was kidnapped and later released after the alleged payment of ransom—highlighting the widespread nature of the security crisis.
Efforts to reach local authorities for comment were unsuccessful at the time of this report.
