Bandits Strike In Zamfara, Abduct 44 Persons As Residents Pay “Protection Levy”

Bandits have abducted at least 44 people from Kanwa community in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Daily Trust on Sunday has gathered.

Residents said the bandits stormed the community in the night, moving from house to house to abduct residents, mostly women and children.

In recent time, there’s been a lull after years of deadly raids on communities in the local government, but abductions and pockets of attacks have resurfaced, making the residents to become jittery once again.

The mass abduction is believed to be perpetrated by a notorious bandits’ leader called Dankarami.

Dankarami has been terrorizing residents of Zurmi – Birnin Magaji – Jibia axis in Zamfara and neighbouring Katsina states.

The bandits were yet to call relatives of the victims to demand for ransom.

Meanwhile, residents of Moriki town have started making effort to gather “protection fee” after armed criminals demanded for N20 million from the community.

The levy, according to residents, is being mobilized from house to house and would be delivered to the armed men in Bello Turji’s camp after the criminal gang told them that they would protect the community from attacks if the levy was delivered.

Moriki, a community located along Shinkafi – Kaura Namoda Road has witnessed series of assaults including abductions of staff of Government Girls Secondary School in the past.

The spokesman of the state police command SP Muhammad Shehu could not be reached for comment at the time of filing this report.