New Terror Group Emerges In Kebbi, Imposes ₦5 Million Levy On Villages

A newly emerged terrorist group known as “Sai Mallam” has allegedly imposed a monthly levy of ₦5 million on at least 10 rural communities in Kebbi State, threatening to seize farmlands and attack residents if the payment is not made.

Community sources reportedly told SaharaReporters on Friday that the group had entrenched itself in parts of Argungu and Zuru emirates after relocating to the state in the first quarter of 2026.

Naija News reports that the affected communities in Argungu Emirate were listed as Alwasa, Danba, Sarkin Gobir, Unwara and Zazzagawa, while those in Zuru Emirate include Zodi, Tadurga, Senchi, Ciroman and Dabai.

Residents said members of the group summoned community leaders and demanded ₦5m monthly from each of the affected villages.

A community source said the terrorists warned that failure to comply would lead to attacks and the takeover of farmlands.

“They have told our people that every month they must produce ₦5m. They said if we fail to pay, they will take over our farmlands and attack our communities,” the source said.

The source added that the state government publicly acknowledged the group’s presence only after community leaders repeatedly raised the alarm.

“It was after community stakeholders informed the government about the threat that the state government swung into action and issued the statement some days ago,” the source said.

“But issuing a statement alone cannot stop these terrorists. What the people want is for the Federal Government to deploy enough military personnel to flush them out before they become stronger.”

Another resident alleged that the group had started recruiting vulnerable youths into its ranks.

According to the source, the terrorists arrived in Kebbi with a strategy of luring unemployed young people with promises of monthly allowances and food supplies.

“They came with a strategy. They promised young people monthly allowances and food rations. After recruiting them, they started preaching radical ideologies, convincing them that what they are doing is jihad,” the source said.

“Many of those joining them are Almajiri children who were abandoned by their parents and Mallams. Most of them are not even from Kebbi State. Some are from Niger Republic and Chad.”

Almajiri refers to children, mostly boys, enrolled in a traditional Islamic education system common in northern Nigeria and parts of neighbouring countries, including Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

In recent years, the term has also been associated with children who live on the streets, beg for survival and have limited access to formal education, healthcare and social services, making them vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, trafficking, forced labour and recruitment by criminal or extremist groups.

The revelation came days after the Kebbi State Government acknowledged the growing presence of the “Sai Mallam Terrorist Sects” in parts of the state.

Speaking during a town hall meeting with the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the North-West, DIG Suleiman Muhammad Abdul, the state’s Security Adviser, retired Colonel Danladi Ribah, admitted that the group had gained a foothold in Argungu.

“Without an iota of doubt, ‘Sai Mallam’ adherents are present in multitude in Argungu, who were earlier detected in Zuru but in lesser numbers,” Ribah said.

He said the activities of the group were first noticed in Sokoto State, where security agencies curtailed their operations, adding that the Kebbi State Government was working with relevant security agencies to contain the emerging threat.

Ribah said Kebbi was also facing security threats from armed groups operating from neighbouring states and across international borders.

“Lakurawa are coming into Kebbi on hit-and-run invasions from Sokoto State and the Republic of Niger; Mamudawa enter our territory from Kwara and Niger states, while bandits attack Kebbi from Zamfara State,” he said.

He assured residents that Governor Nasiru Idris had continued to provide logistics, equipment and financial support to security agencies in the state.

However, residents who spoke to SaharaReporters said government assurances were no longer enough, warning that the group could become more dangerous if urgent action was not taken.

“Our communities are living in fear every day,” one resident said.

“The government has acknowledged the problem, but acknowledgement is not enough. We need soldiers on the ground before these people completely overrun our villages.”

The residents warned that the continued expansion of the “Sai Mallam” group could worsen insecurity in Kebbi State unless federal security authorities take decisive action.

They called for urgent military deployment to the affected communities, saying early intervention was necessary to prevent the group from establishing a permanent foothold similar to other terrorist organisations operating in the North-West.