EXCLUSIVE(SAHARA REPORTERS): 'Sai Mallam' Terrorists Demand N5M Monthly From 10 Kebbi Villages, Threaten Seizure

Reports from SaharaReporters reveal that a new terrorist organization, identified as 'Sai Mallam,' has started demanding a monthly payment of N5 million from no fewer than ten rural settlements within Kebbi State. The group has issued stern warnings of land confiscation and violent assaults should these financial demands not be met. According to several community informants who spoke to SaharaReporters on Friday, this extremist faction established its presence in sections of the Argungu and Zuru emirates after discreetly moving into Kebbi during the initial three months of 2026.

Among the villages impacted in the Argungu area are Alwasa, Danba, Sarkin Gobir, Unwara, and Zazzagawa. In the Zuru emirate, Zodi, Tadurga, Senchi, Ciroman, and Dabai are similarly affected. Local inhabitants reported that leaders from these communities were summoned by the terrorists, who then insisted on a monthly sum of N5 million from each village. The group explicitly threatened aggressive actions and the seizure of agricultural lands if payments were not made. A source from one of the communities relayed to SaharaReporters, stating, "They have told our people that every month they must produce N5 million. They said if we fail to pay, they will take over our farmlands and attack our communities."

The same source clarified that the Kebbi State Government only publicly confirmed the existence of 'Sai Mallam' after community leaders consistently brought the escalating threat to the attention of state officials. The source noted, "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." However, locals expressed dissatisfaction, arguing that "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 accused the terrorist group of systematically enlisting susceptible young individuals. This informant claimed the group arrived in Kebbi during the year's first quarter and commenced enticing jobless youths with pledges of regular financial allowances and provisions. "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 disclosed. It was also revealed that "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."

The term Almajiri generally denotes children, predominantly boys, participating in a traditional Islamic educational framework prevalent in Nigeria's northern region and adjacent nations like Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. In contemporary usage, it frequently describes children living on the streets, resorting to begging for sustenance or funds, and experiencing restricted access to formal schooling, medical care, and social provisions. Such children are highly susceptible to various forms of exploitation, including abuse, trafficking, forced labor, and enlistment by criminal or extremist organizations. This predicament has evolved over time, exacerbated by the erosion of customary support mechanisms, increasing poverty, urban expansion, demographic growth, and dwindling public financial allocations.

Nevertheless, inhabitants cautioned that without prompt military action, the group risks solidifying its presence, potentially mirroring other terrorist entities active across Nigeria's North-West. These recent disclosures emerged just days after the Kebbi State Government officially recognized the increasing proliferation of the 'Sai Mallam Terrorist Sects' within certain areas of the state.

During a recent town hall meeting attended by Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) Suleiman Muhammad Abdul, who oversees the North-West zone, retired Colonel Danladi Ribah, the state's Security Adviser, acknowledged the widespread nature of the group in Argungu. Ribah affirmed, "Without an iota of doubt, 'Sai Mallam' adherents are present in multitude in Argungu, who were earlier detected in Zuru but in lesser numbers." He further revealed that the group's initial operations were observed in Sokoto State, where security forces managed to curb their activities. He added that the Kebbi State Government is collaborating with various security outfits to manage this evolving danger.

Ribah also detailed that Kebbi State remains under constant threat from various armed factions originating from neighboring states and international boundaries. He explained, "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."

The Security Adviser reassured citizens that Governor Nasiru Idris consistently offers logistical, equipment, and monetary aid to security formations. Nevertheless, residents who spoke with SaharaReporters stressed that official assurances were proving inadequate. One resident conveyed their apprehension to SaharaReporters, stating, "Our communities are living in fear every day." They continued, "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 local population issued a warning that the ongoing growth of the 'Sai Mallam' group could severely escalate security challenges throughout Kebbi if federal security agencies do not implement immediate and decisive measures.