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Suspected bandits have reportedly threatened to attack residents of Kebbe Town in Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State unless they pay a levy of N40 million.
According to local sources, the criminals reportedly conveyed the demands through a farmer who sent a telephone call to the District Head of Kebbe, Mallam Lawal Labbo.
They initially gave residents five days to raise funds before extending the deadline, following appeals from community members.
According to sources, the phone was later handed over to the Divisional Police Officer in the area.
It is also alleged that the bandits allegedly warned that phones should remain charged and callable, threatening to attack the city if their calls were not answered.
Confirming the development, Sokoto State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Ahmed Rufai, said the command was aware of the reported threat.
“We know this information and we together with the Anti-Kidnapping Unit (AKU) have tried to get this information,” said Rufai.
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However, he said the bandits had reportedly given the villagers an ultimatum till Sunday to collect the demanded money.
Responding to the report, the African Democratic Congress gubernatorial candidate in Sokoto State, Hon. Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, described the situation as “serious” and called on Sokoto state and the federal government to take immediate steps to protect the public.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Aminu Abdullahi, Dan’iya said the reported prosecution represented an alarming level of criminal control over citizens’ lives and economic activities.
“What happened to those promises? What has the APC government in Sokoto done to stop bandits from dictating terms to our communities?” he asked.
Dan’iya said the reported threats should serve as an urgent warning to the government, arguing that communities should not be allowed to negotiate their survival with criminal groups.
He called on Governor Ahmed Aliyu and the federal government to immediately deploy additional security personnel, intelligence resources and operational support to Kebbe and other vulnerable communities before the reported deadline.
“Sokoto is under siege and the people cannot afford another tragedy. The government must stop treating insecurity as a political talking point and start treating it as an emergency,” said Dan’iya.
He also urged security agencies to work with traditional rulers and local communities to prevent possible attacks, while calling on residents to take such threats seriously and cooperate with security forces.
