Zamfara Community Pays N20m Levy To Bandits

A community in Zamfara state has paid N20million levy imposed on them by the dreaded bandits’ leader, Bello Turji. 

 Punch reported that the money was paid by residents of Gidan-goga Village of Maradun Local Government Area in Zamfara State. 

 Recall, that Turji had imposed the N20m levy on the residents of the village and asked them to pay the money on or before Sunday, November 27, or face his warth.

 He threatened to attack the village if the money was not paid on or before the deadline. 

 An indigene of the area who begged for anonymity on security reasons, told The PUNCH that the money was paid yesterday (Sunday) adding that some people who fled to other places, had started returning to the village. 

 “Many people including myself have returned to the village because of the payment of the levy.” 

 He stressed that an additional amount of N6m was also paid by the community for the release of five people abducted by Turji’s men some weeks ago. 

 “We paid additional sum of N6 million for the release of five people abducted by the terrorists who belonged to Bello Turji’s camp.”

 Efforts to get comments from the spokesperson of the state police command, SP Mohammed Shehu, failed as he could not be reached on phone as at the time of filling this report.