ZAMFARA STATE COMMUNITIES IN FEAR AS TERROR GROUP PROMISES ATTACK OVER FAILED DUES

Two communities in Shinkafi local government area of Zamfara state, northwest Nigeria, are under fear of an imminent terror attack after they failed to pay taxes levied on them by a terror group.

The terror group, allegedly led by Dullu Kachalla, one of the terror kingpins in the area, sent a message to Jangeru and Birnin Yero villages in Shinkafi local government area of the state on Sunday, Feb. 13, to brace up for an attack after they failed to meet up with the 9 million naira tax payment.

Following negotiations with the terror group, the residents of the two communities agreed to the N9million as against N40 million requested by the terrorists. They were given two weeks to get the money ready or face attacks.

According to some elders and leaders of the community, they are contributing N6000 each to avert the attack.

“We sat and agreed to task ourselves, in fact, each and every one of us is to pay nothing less than N6,000 including wood breakers, street hawkers and shoemakers, and of course no matter how less or small is one’s business,”

“Other categories such as “government workers are to pay N20,000, businessmen are to pay between N50,000 to N100,000, depending on the viability of one’s business venture or influence.

But they were unable to raise the amount, according to Garba, a farmer and resident of Jangeru.

“We could not raise up to this amount we promised. This is why all of us are in intense fear now. We told and reported to all relevant government agencies and traditional authorities of the catastrophe we are in. But it is done during this rush hour,” Garba said.

Another resident said, “we are too poor to pay the terror group the agreed N9 million. The two communities could not realize the agreed N9 million within two weeks as promised despite the drastic slash-down and discount of N31 million.”

Local sources said that Dullu visited the communities and warned that his ‘men’ would take down anyone found at the outskirts of the two localities.

Dr Tijjani Shinkafi, a university don at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, said paying the taxes levied by the terror group would not stop them from attacking the communities.