Bandits Impose ₦200,000 Levy on Zamfara Villages to Fund Arms Purchase

Suspected bandits operating in parts of Zamfara State have reportedly imposed a N200,000 levy on several rural communities to finance the purchase of weapons, following the appointment of a new field commander after the death of one of their leaders.

The development was disclosed by security analyst Zagazola Makama, who said the armed group was restructuring its operations in the wake of sustained military offensives targeting criminal hideouts across the North-West.

According to the report, the new commander succeeded the late Kachalla Iliya Mai Rasha, although his identity has yet to be made public.

Emissaries of the group were reportedly sent to villages in the western axis of Tsafe Local Government Area to demand the levy.

Makama said the N200,000 contribution from each affected village was expected to generate about N25 million, which the group allegedly intended to use to procure additional arms and ammunition.

The report further claimed that at least 10 bandit commanders, popularly known as Kachallas, were buried in Kizara village following recent military operations, while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

Residents familiar with the activities of the armed groups were quoted as saying that intensified military operations had made cattle rustling increasingly difficult within Zamfara State, forcing the criminals to travel to more remote areas in search of livestock.

According to the residents, repeated security operations and years of cattle theft have significantly reduced the number of animals available for rustling, affecting one of the gangs’ major sources of funding.

Security sources were said to be monitoring reports of the group’s new leadership structure and the alleged collection of levies as part of ongoing intelligence efforts to disrupt the criminal network’s financing and logistics.

The report added that recent offensives under Operation FANSAN YAMMA have continued to mount pressure on armed groups operating across Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto states, leading to the reported killing of several notorious commanders and the destruction of their operational bases. However, the claims contained in the report could not be independently verified.