Bandits have asked farmers in three communities in Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State to pay N10 million levy before they can harvest their products in this year farming season.
The bandits insisted the imposed levy must be paid or else the farmers in Sabon-Layi, Tashar Keji and Ruwan Rana communities should forget farming, according to the chairman, Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU), Mr. Ishaq Usman Kasai.
Appealing to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address the security challenges in the council area, he lamented that the insecurity has become worrisome in Birnin-Gwari.
According to him, the people in the council area are being kidnapped and killed by bandits on daily basis.
With the bandits’ attacks, he said the economy of the people, which solely depends on farming, had been seriously crippled.
He said: “People no longer can go to their farmlands due to insecurity. Also, most schools have been closed and transportation halted in the council area.
“Disturbingly, the bandits continue to impose levies on farming communities in the area. Just this week, the bandits imposed N10 million levies on three farming communities – Sabon-Layi, Tashar Keji and Ruwan Rana – where they gave these communities three days, which expired Tuesday 30/5/2023 (today) to meet up this demand or be attacked.
“Women and children are becoming Internally Displaced Person(s) IDPs, daily. Last Sunday night, Dadin Kowa village was attacked and sacked by armed bandits on motorcycles.”