Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has expressed grave concerns over the ongoing banditry plaguing the North-Western state, attributing the persistent insecurity to significant political interference. Speaking at a town hall roundtable to mark Nigeria’s 25th Democracy Day in Abuja on Wednesday, the governor highlighted the dire consequences of these criminal activities, lamenting that valuable human lives are being needlessly lost.
Governor Lawal underscored his frustration with the limitations of his authority over security forces in the state. “By name, I am the chief security officer of my state, but when it comes to command and control, I don’t have control over any of the security outfits, whether the military, the police, or civil defense,” he explained. “They take their instructions from their superiors, not from the governors. We don’t have that control; I wish we did, it would have been a different story.”
This lack of direct control over security agencies, according to the governor, has hampered efforts to address the security crisis effectively. Governor Lawal asserted that the security situation in Zamfara has remained dire due to what he termed as political interference. He emphasized that the security agencies possess the capabilities required to eradicate criminal elements across the country but are hindered by these political constraints.
Addressing the complexities of tackling banditry in Zamfara, Governor Lawal lamented, “There is so much political interference in this country. Political interference is the major factor here. If we don’t have that, the military has the capacity to crush anybody. Remember, we do have our forces in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and they did very well.”
Despite the challenges, Governor Lawal remains optimistic about the potential to overcome the security issues. He believes that with the necessary political will, banditry and other related security challenges could be eliminated within a matter of weeks. “The military has the capacity to crush anybody. If there was no political interference, we could solve this problem within two weeks,” he asserted.
Zamfara State is one of several states in the region suffering from the scourge of banditry, where armed groups frequently raid and loot villages, kill residents, and burn homes to the ground. These gangs have established camps in the vast forests spanning Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger states, and have been responsible for mass kidnappings, including the abduction of students from schools in recent years.
The banditry in the northwest represents just one facet of the severe security challenges that Nigerian authorities are grappling with. Although the bandits primarily operate for financial gain, there are growing concerns among officials and analysts about their increasing links with jihadist groups engaged in a 14-year insurgency in the northeast.
In response to the escalating crisis, Governor Lawal took a proactive step in February by announcing the formation of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guards. This initiative aims to bolster local security efforts and provide additional protection to communities within the state. The formation of these community protection guards was marked by a ceremony in the state capital, Gusau, reflecting the governor’s commitment to enhancing local security infrastructure.
Governor Lawal’s remarks at the Democracy Day roundtable underscore the urgent need for a more coherent and politically independent approach to security management in Zamfara State. As the region continues to face relentless attacks from bandits, the governor’s call for reduced political interference and greater empowerment of local authorities highlights a crucial pathway towards achieving lasting peace and stability. With the right political will and support, there is hope that Zamfara and other affected states can overcome the challenges posed by banditry and restore safety and security for their residents.
