People in the Gidan Mai Jimina and Garangozai communities in the Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State are scared because suspected bandits demanded a motorcycle and a N5 million levy, threatening serious consequences if their demands are not met.
It was learned that the most recent event happened just a few hours after the attackers kidnapped Malam Habibu, the head of the village of Gidan Mai Jimina, on Monday. They let him go after giving him a motorcycle and N100,000.
The gunmen then went to the Garangozai community, where they are said to have kidnapped another village head, Malam Sule.
Residents said on Tuesday morning that the bandits had come back and were camped along roads connecting Gidan Tulluwa, Gangaren Rafi, and Gindin Mangwarori. They were heavily armed and making new threats.
Villagers say that the armed men have told people in the affected areas that they must pay N5 million and give them a new motorcycle by 2 p.m. on Tuesday. If they don’t, they will face serious consequences.
The situation has caused a lot of fear, with many residents saying they are worried about their safety and don’t know what will happen if the demands aren’t met.
Reports of similar levies and mass kidnappings in different parts of the state show that armed groups in the North-West are using extortion as a way to get what they want.
Bakastine, a security analyst and crisis journalist, posted about the event on his X handle and asked why attacks on rural communities are still happening.
“How many more innocent people have to die before something is done?” He asked the authorities to put proactive security measures and timely protection for vulnerable groups at the top of their lists.
He also said that social and economic factors, not ideology, are the main reasons for banditry in the North-West.
“In the North-West region, banditry is less about ideology and more about poverty, broken rural economies, weak governments, cycles of revenge, cattle rustling economies, and easy access to weapons.”
Many people join to stay alive, stay safe, or make money. He said that forest hideouts, local informants, ransom payments, and the constant recruitment of young people keep them strong.
Even though security operations are still going on in some parts of Katsina State, the bandits are said to still be in charge of many rural areas, which makes residents, especially farmers, even more scared.
Farmers in the affected areas said that if nothing is done quickly, the ongoing violence could severely disrupt farming, threaten crop production, and make food less secure.
They asked both the state and federal governments to step up their security efforts to bring back trust and keep people safe and their jobs across the region.
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