Notorious armed bandit leader Mustapha Babaro has reportedly imposed a staggering ₦50 million levy on Yargoje and neighbouring communities in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, sparking fresh fears over the effectiveness of ongoing peace negotiations in the state.
Residents told LeadNaija News that Babaro issued a stern warning to the affected villages on Thursday, declaring that any community that fails to pay the levy within his deadline will “face consequences.”
This development comes barely weeks after Kankara LGA held its second peace parley with bandit groups in less than three months—an effort by local authorities to negotiate calm in a region repeatedly targeted by violent armed groups.
The new levy has raised serious questions about the value of these talks and whether the so-called peace deals are genuinely protecting vulnerable communities or merely emboldening armed groups to tighten their grip.
As fear spreads across the affected areas, residents are left wondering: If bandits can impose taxes in broad daylight—after multiple peace meetings—what kind of truce is Katsina State really reaching, and how safe are the communities caught in the middle?
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
