THIS DAWN — Tension has escalated across Gama Giwa and neighbouring villages in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State, following a fresh “tax order” imposed by the notorious bandit kingpin, Kachalla Dan Sa’adiyya.
Sa’adiyya reportedly directed residents to pay ₦50 million within one week or face consequences.
The demand, delivered on weekend, has deepened fear and despair in communities already struggling under months of intimidation and exploitation.
According to residents, the levy comes after a long period of compulsory labour imposed by the bandit leader throughout the rainy season.
Villagers were allegedly forced to work on Dan Sa’adiyya’s farms without payment, tending to his crops from planting to harvest.
Many community members say they had hoped that the end of the farming season would bring relief.
Instead, they now face what they describe as a new phase of financial extortion.
“We worked on his farmlands because we had no choice.
“Now that harvest is over, he is asking for ₦50 million.
“Where does he expect villagers to get that kind of money?” a frightened resident said, pleading anonymity for fear of reprisal.
Post-farming exploitation
Families in the affected communities say they are traumatised and financially crippled.
The unpaid labour, combined with the astronomical levy, has drained already fragile household incomes.
Many farmers who barely harvested enough for their families now fear losing what little they have left if they are unable to meet the bandit’s demands.
Residents say the bandit leader exercises near-total control over movement, economic activity and security within the axis.
“We cannot farm freely, we cannot travel freely, and now we are being asked to pay millions.
“It is as if our lives depend on a warlord,” another villager lamented.
Community members continue to rely on prayers and hope for intervention.
They express longing for a future where safety and dignity are not dictated by the whims of armed groups.
But the situation in Maradun raises a deeper national concern—one that resonates across several regions affected by insecurity.
An observer asked: How did bandit commanders evolve into de-facto revenue agencies in parts of our country?
Bandit groups continue to enforce levies, run forced-labour systems, and administer parallel authority structures.
Consequently, security analysts warn that Nigeria is witnessing the dangerous entrenchment of criminal governance.
For the residents of Gama Giwa and surrounding villages, the urgent question is not just how things deteriorated to this level—but how soon meaningful intervention will come to end this cycle of fear and exploitation.
