A Community Leader from Birnin Gwari Emirate Council, in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Alhaji Zubairu Abdulra’uf, has revealed that members of the communities in the area were only allowed to go to their farms this rainy season by armed Fulani bandits terrorists, after paying a whopping N400 million, under Governor Nasir El-Rufai and President Muhammadu Buhari’s watch, Page 36 learnt.
Speaking to Newsmen in Kaduna, on Thursday, he explained that the incessant attacks on communities by the terrorists have paralysed economic activities in the State, especially in the rural areas, and made it completely impossible for them to travel to other places to undertake their legitimate activities.
According to him, N200 million was paid to the terrorists in Randegi District alone.
He added: “When you talk of Birnin-Gwari Local Government as a whole, it is between N300 million to N400 million, paid to these bandits.”
He further explained that the payment was in three stages, stressing that, the bandits are paid in pre-season and mid-season, when the crops are about to start yielding.
He added that payment has to be made to the bandits, because they will not allow the Farmers to have access to their farms, saying that, at the end of the season when the Farmers are harvesting, they will also pay the bandits before they access their farms.
Abdulra’uf also revealed that the levy does not end there, adding that, each Farmer also gives between 2 to 10 bags of grains to the bandits.
He said that the residents of Birnin-Gwari have been paying the levies for over three years, lamenting the frustration, noting also that since the government cannot protect them, they have chosen to arm themselves.
More news later…