Bandits operating in Gando forest in Bukkuyum local government area of Zamfara State have written to nine communities asking them to pay their levies or face deadly attacks.
This is coming a few weeks after bandits massacred at least 200 people in Bukkuyum and Anka local government areas.
In that carnage, he bandits burnt down five villages, killed many residents and mutilated their bodies.
It was gathered that the bandits, who attacked the villages on motorcycles, were more than 500.
The letters
The letters seen by PREMIUM TIMES were written in Hausa language and addressed to the different communities. Each of the letters has the name of the community on the top and the money it is expected to pay. There are also a mobile phone number written on the letters.
This newspaper called the number several times but it did not go through.
“Yargalma. N5,000,000. From Dogon Sabi na Auwali Wanzam. You people should reach out to us for peace. Come and pay us money or vacate your town. Respect this and live in peace,” one of the letters read.
All the letters bore the same contents except the title of the town and the amount the bandits are seeking.
