The Zamfara Good Governance Network (ZGGN) has taken a swipe at Governor Dauda Lawal over his recent comments on insecurity in the state, describing them as reckless, misleading, and a slap on the nation’s security architecture.
In a viral video that made the rounds this week, Governor Lawal, speaking in Hausa, claimed banditry in Zamfara could end within two months if he were given direct control of security agencies. He boasted of procuring 150 vehicles for security operatives and having access to tracking devices that reportedly monitor the daily movements of bandits, but insisted orders could only come from Abuja.
But the ZGGN, in a statement issued in Gusau on Friday by its President, Murtala Abdullahi, flayed the governor’s remarks as an indictment on his own administration and an insult to the sacrifices of Nigeria’s military and security forces.
“This is a governor who rode to power on the promise of ending insecurity,” Abdullahi said. “Nearly three years down the line, he now tells the world he can end banditry in two months if given control of the military. That is not only laughable, it is shameful. It is a direct affront to our armed forces who daily put their lives on the line in Zamfara.”
The group accused Governor Lawal of playing politics with human lives, noting that by his own admission he had access to intelligence on the location and movement of criminal gangs but had failed to share such information with the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the DSS, or the military high command.
“By sitting on intelligence while villages are razed, people abducted, and communities left in ruins, the governor has made himself complicit,” Abdullahi charged.
He further questioned the governor’s sincerity, pointing out that while Lawal complains of not having command authority, he personally moves around the state with a heavily armed convoy, including NSCDC operatives and paramilitary escorts.
“The people of Zamfara are left defenceless while their governor cruises with armoured protection. It is hypocrisy of the highest order,” he added.
The ZGGN warned that the situation in Zamfara had reached intolerable levels, urging President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the state without further delay.
“In Kaura Namoda alone last month, 24 villagers were killed, 16 injured, and 144 abducted. In Bukkuyum, 100 were whisked away in a single raid. This is bloodletting on an industrial scale. The federal government cannot continue to watch Zamfara descend into total collapse under weak leadership,” the statement read.
The group also rallied civil society, religious leaders, and traditional institutions to hold Governor Lawal accountable, stressing that silence in the face of escalating killings would only embolden criminal gangs.
“Our people cannot continue to be slaughtered while those in power make excuses. If the governor cannot provide leadership, then the federal government must step in and rescue Zamfara,” Abdullahi concluded.
