The Benue State Taskforce on Illegal Levies and Criminality has apprehended a notorious “Marching Ground” operator, Ade Simon Kator, for allegedly extorting ₦500,000 from a clergyman under false pretenses.
Kator, a resident of Achusa behind Hotel Lucia, was accused of illegally collecting the hefty sum from Pastor Ogbu Emmanuel of Again and Afresh Church. He claimed the payment was a mandatory “Marching Ground” fee — a controversial and unauthorized levy often demanded during construction activities.
According to reports, after securing the payment, Kator went a step further by mobilizing local youths to harass construction workers at the church site. The group reportedly disrupted ongoing work, issued threats, and demanded additional “youth levies,” warning of potential damage to the building if their demands were not met.
The situation prompted a swift response from the state taskforce following a distress call. Kator was arrested and, during interrogation, admitted to the crime. He has since been transferred to the Police Area Command in Makurdi, where he will face legal action.
While parading the suspect, Hon. Gbenda Terver, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Youth Organization and Illegal Levies, condemned the rising wave of extortion and intimidation by self-styled levy collectors.
This is a warning to all those exploiting innocent citizens in the name of illegal levies,” Terver said. “The law will catch up with them. We encourage members of the public to speak up and report such acts.”
He urged residents to make use of the official hotline — 07063894788 — to report any illegal levy activities in their communities.
