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In an audio message circulating among locals, the bandit leader directed the village head to summon residents and deliver the ultimatum.
He claimed the levy was meant to “prevent attacks,” warning that refusal would lead to killings and mass abductions.
“We don’t want to attack you,” he said in the recording. “But if you fail to pay, we will kill your people and kidnap as many as we can.”
A community elder told our correspondent that Bakale is not the first to face such intimidation. Several villages across Kilgori and Torankawa districts—including Bazar, Gari, Dagel, Adarawa, Tile, Kibiyare, and Barmadu—have reportedly been compelled to pay levies running from N3 million to N20 million, depending on population size.
The source added that two separate attacks two weeks ago left six people dead in Alkalije and four in Tile, heightening fears that the threats against Bakale could be carried out if the community fails to comply.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Sokoto State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the command’s spokesperson, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, did not respond to multiple calls.
