- Each household has been tasked with contributing N50,000
Residents of the Torough community in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State are selling their farm produce to raise N20 million demanded by bandits.
The bandits have threatened to attack if the money is not paid within a few days. Each household has been tasked with contributing N50,000.
Residents are selling their produce and livestock, and seeking help from relatives to gather the funds.
Fear of the bandits prevents anyone, including the village head, from reporting to the authorities. The local government chairman, Victor Iorzaa, has informed the police and state security council about the situation, identifying a militia leader known as Full Fire as responsible for the threat.
Iorzaa said, “The report is true, and the person behind it is Full Fire. He was the person that connived with Fulani recently to attack our people; he has been working with Fulani people and terrorising the area for the past five years.
“He is a bandit. If you remember, two weeks ago, the military launched an attack on his house.
“The people of the area are living in fear that the community is the most troubled place in the LG. If one is going to the village, don’t be surprised that before you get there, the person will be attacked.
“I have reported the matter to the police and also the state security council. Full Fire lives at the border community with Taraba State. ”
While commending the state governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, for his efforts at combating crime in the state, the local government chairman also applauded security operatives for curtailing the excesses of the militias.
He added, “But security operatives are doing their best to curtail them.”
Meanwhile, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Catherine Anene, said if such a thing happened, it would not have been reported to the command.
Also, the Security Adviser to the Governor, Joseph Har, said bandits were on the run in the state and could not have the luxury of collecting tax from the villagers.
Har said Alia’s administration was doing everything possible to mitigate activities of bandits, kidnappers, and militias, amongst others, in the State.
Har said, “The issue of this illegal levy has become a common practice with bandits everywhere worldwide because they use it to survive. However, only an irresponsible government will fold its hands to allow that callous thing to happen.
“The criminals have been having a very tough time recently, and they are really having the heat and can’t have the balls to wait and collect any tax.
“Most of them have fled their camps (you can find out) and we intend to sustain the momentum until we run them down or they surrender. There is reduction in the impunity of these bandits and the basket will get filled again.”