Residents Pay ₦7 Million to Bandits for Safety in Shiroro, Niger State

Reported by: Agande Richard Aondofa | Edited by: Henry Owen

Residents of Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) in Niger State have raised alarm over worsening insecurity, revealing that they are forced to pay a total of ₦7 million to bandits just to be allowed to live peacefully in their homes and farms.

Community leader Alhaji Yahaya disclosed that several villages, including Makera, Galapai, and Chukuba, are now under the full control of bandits, who dictate the terms of peace in the area.

According to him, each married man contributes a share of the ransom money, which is regularly demanded by the armed groups to prevent attacks on the communities.

 “We pay ₦7 million to bandits every time just to be allowed to live and farm in peace,”— Resident, Shiroro LGA

He lamented that security patrols in the area have completely stopped, forcing locals to negotiate directly with the bandits for their safety.

 “Security patrols have stopped coming here; we now negotiate directly with the bandits for our safety,”

The situation, according to residents, has made life unbearable as many are unable to farm freely or move around without fear.

 “Each married man contributes his own share to the payment, or else the bandits will attack,” — Alhaji Yahaya

The villagers are now appealing to both the state and federal governments to urgently intervene and restore security in the area before the situation worsens.

 “We are calling on the government to come to our aid before it’s too late,”

The ongoing bandit control of rural communities in Niger State highlights the growing insecurity in parts of the North-Central region, where residents say they have been left to fend for their own safety in the absence of government protection.

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