Niger State Communities Lament Paying N7million Levies To Bandits, Call For Government Action

Several communities in the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State have been living under constant threat from bandits, with residents forced to pay millions of naira to secure their safety.

The affected areas, including Makera, Galapai, Chukuba, Ushaka, Manini, Kawuri, Bakarie, Utako, and Magana, are reportedly under the control of terrorists, leaving villagers exposed and state security largely absent.

Alhaji Yahaya, a resident of Galadima ward, spoke to online radio programme Tsalle Daya on Tuesday.

“My reason for coming to your studio is to voice out our frustration. There is no peace in our communities. I'm from Galadima ward, of Shiroro Local government area of Niger State, every day we engage in negotiations with the bandits,” he said.

Yahaya described how daily negotiations with armed groups have become a way of life, with villagers having no alternative but to comply.

He added, “Communities starting from Makera, Galapai, Chukuba, Ushaka, Manini, Kawuri, Bakarie I, Utako, Magana, among others are under siege by terrorists. We pay 7million Naira levies to bandits to live in our communities, the Niger community cries out.”

According to him, the financial and psychological burden on residents is immense, as compliance with bandits’ demands is essential for survival

“The only places where there is a bit of security presence is from Galadima to Erena but all the adjoining communities are under the control of bandits,” Yahaya said, disputing claims that security in the state had improved.

He noted that even where security forces are nominally present, their reach is limited, leaving most communities effectively under the bandits’ control.

“We have moved and got tired, and we have lost a lot of people. Before now, the security personnel used to go for patrols, but we have stopped seeing them,” he said, highlighting the absence of regular patrols and protection.

“There is a place now called Unguwar Kawo; the distance is not much, but even when terrorists raid, the military doesn’t respond. We thought we should cry out because the problem keeps persisting and people always assume that the security situation has improved,” he added.

Yahaya revealed that villagers recently paid another N7million as part of a “peace deal” with the bandits, showing how entrenched the system of extortion has become.

“It’s not up to a week now that we paid seven million naira levies to the bandits as part of a peace deal. Anybody who doesn’t want to pay will have to leave the community. And this is what we have been doing for three years now,” he said.

He also explained, “Every married man is expected to pay. Payment of these levies has become unavoidable for us if we must reside in the community. They come to the community heavily armed, sometimes at night, and spend hours with the village head. They don’t leave until money is given to them.”

Yahaya recounted his experience as a vigilante, showing how even local resistance has failed to stop the terror.

“I was a vigilante personnel, but I quit because there is no way we can defeat the terrorists. I’m not a stranger to the vigilante job. While serving, my wife was abducted, and we paid ransom for her release,” he said.

He concluded with an urgent plea to the state government for intervention.

“We have tried our best, but it has not yielded any results. So, we are appealing to Governor Umaru Bago to hear our cries and come to our rescue,” he said.