Bandits Threaten Benue Community
In a chilling ultimatum, bandits have warned the residents of Torough community in Ukum local government area of Benue State to pay a N20 million tax or face a violent attack. This dire situation has put the community into a frantic scramble to gather the demanded sum.
Many Residents are desperate to avoid the threat and have started selling their farm produce and livestock.
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Each family has been asked to raise N500,000. A local source, speaking under the condition of anonymity due to fear of retribution, revealed that the least amount any household is expected to contribute is N50,000.
“Some people have started disposing of their farm produce and livestock to raise the levy, while others have contacted their relatives outside to gather the funds,” the source told *Punch*.
The fear is palpable, with nobody, including the village head, daring to report the threat to security forces to avoid provoking the local militias.
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Confirming the development, the local government chairman, Victor Iorzaa, said he had alerted the police and the state security council.
Iorzaa said, A notorious militia leader, known as Full Fire, is the mastermind behind the threat.
“The report is true, and the person behind it is Full Fire. He has been terrorizing the area for the past five years, often collaborating with Fulani militias,” Iorzaa explained. “If you recall, the military recently launched an attack on his house.”
Iorzaa described the community as living in constant fear, noting that anyone venturing into the village risks being attacked. Despite this, he commended state security operatives and Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia for their efforts in combating crime in the area.
“The security operatives are doing their best to curtail the militias,” Iorzaa added.
Meanwhile, State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Catherine Anene, stated that the command had not received any reports of such an incident. Similarly, the Governor’s Security Adviser, Joseph Har, dismissed the possibility of bandits collecting taxes from villagers.
“The issue of this illegal levy is a common practice among bandits worldwide as they use it to survive,” Har said. “However, only an irresponsible government would allow such a callous thing to happen. The bandits are on the run, they cannot collect any taxes.”
Har emphasized the ongoing efforts to dismantle the bandits’ operations. “Most of them have fled their camps, and we intend to sustain the momentum until they surrender or are neutralized. There is a reduction in their impunity, and we aim to fill the security gap they have created.”
