The Bandits in Niger state are having a field day as they now negotiate with communities to buy peace and security by contributing N5million monthly or risk attacks.
This is different from the existing kidnapping and ransom demand from relations of victims, the bandits are said to be requesting N5million monthly from these communities or they will all be killed.
According to reports from Iburo, Gamdu, Dnasa, Pyegbere, Dnasapa, Jhazhayidna, Goffan A and B, Chukuba and Galapy communities in Shiroro Local Government Area of the state, bandits, through an intermediary, also a resident in other communities called Kusasu, held a meeting with the communities where they were told to contribute N5million every month if they want to have peace.
Reports gathered that, the people of the communities were able to raised N3million individually from sales of their farm produce in December 2020. The bandits however warned that the N5million must be complete in January or they stand the risk to their lives.
A source who claimed to have attended the negotiation meeting, told them that the bandits will not accept anything less than the agreed amount if the people want to continue to live in peace and go about their normal activities.
He said, “We must agree to pay the N5million every month if not, there will be no peace.”
He said the bandits have agreed to stop the attacks if the N5million is paid promptly. The community however pleaded that they will be giving them N2million monthly which the bandits refused.
The community however said it had not report the matter to the authority. “Even if we report, we know that nothing will be done about it. Severally we have reported attacks to security agents or the government in the past but nobody came to our rescue,” the source said.
Meanwhile people, mostly women and children are beginning to relocate from these communities for fear of being attacked as the possibility of raising the N5million this month seem impossible.
