Bandits have ordered residents of Bakale village in the Kilgori district of Yabo LGA, Sokoto State, to pay a N20 million levy, warning of severe attacks if the money is not delivered.
According to Daily Trust, the gang leader instructed the village head to convene a meeting and relay the demand. In an audio message, the bandit pressed the traditional ruler about an earlier directive, asking whether residents had agreed to comply. After the village head confirmed, the leader announced the new levy, saying the payment was meant to “avoid attacks” and claiming that failure to pay would lead to violence and abductions.
A local community leader, who asked not to be named, said several neighbouring settlements have received similar threats. Villages across Kilgori and Torankawa districts — including Bazar, Alkalije, Gari, Dagel, Adarawa, Kwaidaza, Kilgori Runji, Tudu, Tile, Kibiyare, and Barmadu — have been billed between N3 million and N20 million, depending on their size.
The source added that recent assaults in Alkalije and Tile left multiple residents dead. The Sokoto State Police Command has yet to issue an official response.
This is part of a wider pattern of extortion across the northwest. In November, bandits in Gatakawa, Katsina State, demanded N20 million from farmers before allowing them to harvest their crops. Conflict journalist Bakatsine, who reported the incident, criticised local “peace deals,” arguing that they have only deepened fear among rural communities.
In October, bandits also imposed a N15 million levy on Bazar and surrounding villages. A resident, Alhaji Dauda Umar, confirmed the latest demands, saying preparations to raise the money had already begun. He expressed frustration over repeated assaults and appealed for stronger security support, noting that communities remain fearful despite reports to authorities.
