…Ransack houses, loot valuables
Barely 24 hours after the death of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar in an armed bandits’ den in Katsina State, another armed group has reportedly imposed a N20 million levy on residents of Kwandawa Community in Malumfashi Local Government Area, threatening them with eviction from their ancestral homes if they fail to comply.
The latest incident has further underscored the growing insecurity across Katsina State, where bandit groups continue to terrorise rural communities through kidnappings, killings, cattle rustling, extortion and forced taxation despite sustained security operations.
Residents told BusinessDay that the heavily armed bandits invaded Kwandawa village on Saturday night and informed villagers that payment of the N20 million levy was the only guarantee for their continued stay in the community.
A resident, Ibrahim Tukuri, said the demand was allegedly linked to the killing of one of the bandits during an earlier confrontation with members of the local vigilance group operating in the area.
