Fear in Zamfara community as deadline for payment of levy imposed by terrorist elapses

Residents of Moriki, a town in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, are living in fear of attack by terrorist groups after the deadline for the payment of their protection levy elapsed on Monday.

Bello Turji, a terrorism kingpin in Zamfara, one of Nigeria’s troubled North-west states, imposed the N30 million levy on the residents for their protection against attacks.

A resident, Isyaku Moriki, told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday that Mr Turji claimed that Moriki residents colluded with security agents in the town and killed cows belonging to his bandits.

He said the community was yet to raise the amount as of Monday morning, which was the deadline for the payment of the levy imposed by Mr Turji two weeks ago.

A lawyer, Bulama Bukarti, in a post on his verified X handle, said Mr Turji earlier imposed N50 million but the residents pleaded with him to reduce it to N30 million.

“This sum is supposedly compensation for the killing of Turji’s cows by the new commandant of the army base stationed inside Moriki.

“Each family head is required to contribute N10,000, while unmarried adults must pay N2,000. Despite the commandant’s advice not to pay and his promise never to harm Turji’s animals again, the people remain doubtful.

“They fear that if they fail to meet this extortion demand, Turji will unleash violence on them, with no one to protect them from his brutality.

“Currently, around 15 local politicians and social activists are in Turji’s captivity, all of them abducted in Moriki despite the presence of soldiers. This is the grim reality Nigeria has been reduced to,” Mr Bukarti wrote.

The police spokesperson in Zamfara, Yazeed Abubakar, couldn’t be immediately reached to comment on the incident. His phone number didn’t connect by Monday afternoon.