Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Henry Owen
Residents of several villages in Tsafe Local Government Area (LGA) of Zamfara State say armed bandits have intensified attacks and forced taxation, plunging communities into renewed fear and hardship.
Information obtained from residents of Kwaren Ganuwa and surrounding areas indicates that villagers are being killed or abducted whenever they go to their farms or travel to nearby settlements. The worsening insecurity, locals say, has paralyzed farming activities — the main source of livelihood — forcing families to flee their homes in search of safety.
According to multiple sources, the bandits operate under the command of the notorious warlord, Ado Aleru, whose network now controls dozens of communities in the area. His lieutenants — Alti, Abu Boss, and Isah — are reportedly responsible for collecting huge sums of money imposed on the villages as “taxes.”
Among the hardest-hit communities, Bawa Ganga has allegedly been ordered to pay ₦20 million, while Gwanja and Gidan Isuhu each face levies of ₦4 million, and Matseri is being forced to pay ₦3.5 million.
In addition, several other villages — including Kauyen Jatau, Yar Giwa, Musawar Kalgo, Musawar Dunu, Gidan Barga, Dan Gulbi, Gidan Uda, Ruguza, Katsage, Mai Rai-Rai, Gidan Sakau, Warawar Dan Gurji, Kan Biri, Gidan Gizau, Warawar Nabu, and Marke Babba — have been instructed to pay between ₦1 million and ₦2 million each or face violent attacks.
Residents told our correspondent that the bandits have threatened to invade any community that refuses to comply.
“They kill or abduct anyone who goes to the farm. We are living in fear,” a resident of Kwaren Ganuwa said in a phone interview.
The persistent extortion and violence have deepened insecurity in Tsafe LGA — one of Zamfara’s most vulnerable areas in the state’s years-long struggle with rural banditry. Despite ongoing military operations and repeated government assurances, locals say the attacks continue unchecked, with little visible resistance from security forces.
Community leaders in the affected axis are now pleading for urgent intervention from the Zamfara State Government and security agencies, warning that without swift and decisive action, more lives and livelihoods could be lost.
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