By Desire Emmanuel
Bandits at the weekend invaded Totari Village in Mada District, Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State, following the inability of the villagers to pay the ₦10 million levy imposed on them.
All the villagers fled in different directions when the bandits came on motorcycles while the village had become desolate, just as the bandits were said to have set some of the homes there ablaze before they left.
A source close to the local government told Impact Nigeria News Online on Sunday evening that after leaving the village, the bandits again on Saturday night went to nearby Gyattawa Village, where one resident was shot dead while other residents fled in different directions.
The source added that the invasion was also as a result of the inability of the villagers to pay a N5 million levy imposed on them.
The source also said the attacks on the villages in Mada District have become so frequent because many of the men are farmers.
In fact, prior the last rainy season, residents reportedly paid millions of naira to bandits in order to gain access to their farmlands. After harvest, they were again compelled to pay million to retrieve their farm produce.
However, while the bandits were having field day attacking the residents, there were no security agencies available to help them, and the source said despite many distress calls from the residents before the latest attacks, none of them were responded to.
