Zamfara market crisis: Security institute raises fresh alarm

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The Institute of Security Nigeria, ISN, has condemned the reported imposition of a N50 million levy and the demand for 100 livestock by non-state actors at Talata Mafara Market in Zamfara State.

In a statement signed by its Deputy President and Chief Executive, Barrister Adebayo Akinade, the institute described the reported development as an “act of war against the Nigerian state and its people.”

The ISN said traders and residents had reportedly been given a seven-day ultimatum, warning that the situation required immediate intervention from the government.

It described the development as a national emergency, given the broader security implications of such demands.

According to the institute, the persistent activities of terrorists, bandits and kidnappers are devastating communities by destroying lives, businesses, farmlands and markets while also creating a parallel criminal economy that threatens Nigeria’s security and economic stability.

The organisation urged the Federal Government and Zamfara State Government to classify the imposition of banditry levies and the invasion of markets as acts of terrorism and economic sabotage, backed by coordinated security operations.

It also proposed the establishment of a state-led security coordination structure that would bring together federal security agencies, state security outfits and properly vetted community guards.

The ISN further called on the government to provide frontline states such as Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Niger, Kaduna and Plateau with tactical mobility equipment, drones, night-vision devices and attack helicopters.

The institute also recommended intelligence-driven policing aimed at penetrating criminal logistics networks and dismantling the structures responsible for collecting illegal levies and engaging in cattle rustling.

It advocated the restoration of regulated livestock markets as well as the creation of rapid-response systems supported by aerial patrols.

The ISN further urged communities to improve their early-warning mechanisms and establish local peace and security forums involving traditional rulers, farmers, market associations and faith-based organisations.

The institute also appealed to citizens to refuse ransom and levy demands and promptly report suspected criminal activities to the relevant security agencies.

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