Kwarin Mai Saje community in Tsafe Local Government Council of Zamfara State on Sunday came under ferocious attack by bandits for a levy of N3 million which they have earlier been informed to pay.
In the attack, six residents were reportedly abducted, women were raped by the criminal elements and valuables looted.
Reports said bandits have released a list of 13 communities that have been imposed with a levy, but Kwarin Mai Saje was not included.
However, another group led by a kingpin popularly called Ada Aleru, dragged Kwarin Mai Saje into its own illegal tax net two weeks ago.
A source told journalists that the bandits numbering 100 came to attack the village on Sunday night.
“They looted the village of every important property and raped many women in their houses. They also kidnapped six people during the attack that lasted for several hours.
“It was not as if the villagers didn’t pay, they couldn’t gather the whole three million naira. They sought for assistance and came up with N600,000 but the bandits felt bad that they couldn’t get the whole money imposed on the villagers,” he said.
He said the attack on Kwarin Mai Saje will probably serve as a warning to other defaulting villages in the area.
The state’s police spokesperson, Mohammed Shehu, did not respond to calls and SMS sent to him on the attack.
The phone number of Mamman Tsafe, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of police who is the Special Adviser to Governor Bello Matawalle on security matters, was also not available.
CAPITAL POST had last week reported that bandits Commander, Turji has released list of Sokoto communities that were tasked with payment of levy to the tune of over N66 million.
