Bandits strike again, set Niger school on fire after receiving ₦10m levy

It has been claimed that bandits have burned down a primary school in Dekara community in the Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State despite the people having paid a ₦10 million fee supposedly charged to them by the bandits for their protection from any attacks.

This act of the armed men has once again raised fears over the increasing insecurity in parts of Niger State, and it was revealed by security analyst Bakatsine on his verified account on the X platform on Saturday.

As per Bakatsine, the armed men who are suspected to belong to the Kainji Lake National Park, attacked the community on Wednesday and burnt down Central Primary School, Dekara.

As reported by Bakatsine, the communities in question had collected and paid the ₦10 million fee charged to them by the bandits after getting threatened with an attack.

People had paid the money believing that it will ensure the safety of the community from further attacks.

But even after paying the fee, the armed men have reportedly attacked the schools and burnt it down.

“Bandits have reportedly razed Central Primary School, Dekara community, in Borgu LGA of Niger State, despite community paying a ₦10 million levy imposed on them,” Bakatsine wrote while sharing photographs of the burnt school.

He added that, “The attackers, said to have emerged from the Kainji Lake National Park, stormed the town on Wednesday and set the school ablaze. Residents had raised and paid the money after threats of attack, following assurances they would be spared further violence.”

Commenting on the development, Bakatsine described the incident as another indication of the growing power wielded by criminal groups over rural communities.

“The destruction of the school despite compliance raises troubling questions about the growing influence armed groups wield over vulnerable communities. When criminals impose taxes and still unleash violence, hope becomes the next casualty,” he stated.

The attack adds to a growing pattern in which armed groups impose levies on rural communities across parts of Nigeria’s North-Central and North-West regions, forcing residents to pay millions of naira or provide food items, motorcycles, livestock and other supplies under threats of violent reprisals.

Communities that fail to comply with such demands have frequently been subjected to deadly attacks, mass abductions, arson and looting.

Security experts have repeatedly warned that the extortion of rural communities has evolved into a parallel system of illegal taxation through which criminal gangs finance their operations while further weakening the authority of the state.

Niger State has remained one of the states worst affected by banditry in recent years, with several local government areas experiencing repeated attacks on villages, schools, farmers and commuters.

Parts of Borgu Local Government Area, particularly communities bordering the expansive Kainji Lake National Park, have increasingly become vulnerable due to the vast forested terrain, which security agencies say provides hideouts for armed groups operating across Niger, Kwara and neighbouring states.

The latest attack has also renewed concerns about the safety of educational facilities in rural communities, as schools continue to bear the brunt of Nigeria’s protracted insecurity, disrupting education and forcing many children out of classrooms.