Sokoto: Police Bolster Security As Bandits Threaten Attack Over N40m Levy
By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
Sokoto State Police Command has heightened security in Kebbe Local Government Area following intelligence of a planned attack by bandits who allegedly imposed a N40 million compulsory levy on residents of Kebbe town and neighbouring communities.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Ahmed Rufai, confirmed the threat on Thursday, saying the police were on “red alert” and had intensified measures to protect residents and their property. Rufai disclosed this in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Sokoto.
The threat comes as the Sokoto State Government prepares to commission the newly upgraded Juma’at Mosque in Kebbe town on Friday. Local sources said the bandits had threatened violence if residents failed to meet their demand and were allegedly mobilising other criminal groups ahead of the planned attack.
Sources said the threat had been reported to relevant authorities, including local government officials, who reportedly alerted the state government. The development has raised concerns over the safety of residents and dignitaries expected at the mosque commissioning, with some stakeholders calling for its postponement. No official decision has been announced.
The latest threat comes barely two weeks after a deadly bandit attack on Kebbe and adjoining communities reportedly left several people dead, with scores abducted. The renewed violence has also forced some frightened residents to flee to safer locations, including Jega and other communities in neighbouring Kebbi State.
The development has heightened security concerns along the Sokoto-Kebbi axis, where criminal groups have continued to impose illegal levies and threaten vulnerable communities. Security authorities now face mounting pressure to prevent another attack and protect residents from extortion, abduction and displacement.
