The ongoing military operations against armed bandits have skyrocketed the cost of living in Zamfara State, FIJ can report.

Yusuf Anka, a resident of Sokoto who recently travelled to Zamfara, said the prices of commodities have skyrocketed in the state which has witnessed little or no security improvement.

“’Maggi’ of N20 is now N80. Sphagheti of N250 is now N700. A sachet of salt of N60 is N300. A petrol litre of N165 is now N3000,” Anka revealed.

FIJ had reported how the terrorists used a hidden cyber network to bypass the telecom shutdown in the state and wreak more havoc on defenceless citizens.

READ ALSO: Bandits Bypassing Telecom Shutdown in Zamfara With Hidden Cyber Network

Since the activities of telecom service providers were suspended in the state on September 4, bandits have written a series of letters to villagers in Hausa Language, issuing threats and demanding ransoms.

“After sending letters to the communities, at least 40 people were killed in Bakura last week,” said Anka.“The pains of the people have only increased since this blackout started. Very little is being done to contain the situation.”

In the Bakura, Shinkafi and Maru areas of the state, terrorists attacked military bases, killing about 13 officers. They also razed five military vehicles and took away 12 riffles in Matumji to attack more communities.

According to Anka, communities in Dansadau and Tsafe were not accessible due to constant patrols by armed bandits.

“Some communities in Dansadau said they delivered petrol and food items to bandits in exchange for safety. Communities and bandits communicate through letters,” he said.

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On Sunday, Lukman Iliyasu, a Sokoto resident, posted on Facebook that Zamfara was hell when he visited recently. He was not available to give an account of his experience in the state.

On Friday, the police in Zamfara said they had discovered an illegal cyber network. Ayuba Elkanah, the state’s Commissioner of Police, said the network was used by bandit collaborators to communicate with their partners to perpetrate evil.

FIJ gathered that the terrorists had attacked scores of villages in the state, killing dozens of innocent citizens and abducting over 400, despite military operations.