Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has said that political interference and restrictions from security agencies are frustrating his efforts to end the decade-long banditry crisis in the state.
Speaking during a media briefing, Lawal stressed that if given the authority to fully command security operations, he could end the menace within two weeks.
“I know where the bandits are, where they go, and where they come from. I monitor them through advanced surveillance technology that I can access even on my phone. But I cannot act because I don’t have the power to command security personnel. If I had that authority, within two weeks, this problem would be over,” the governor declared.
Lawal explained that his administration had recruited over 2,000 hunters and vigilantes from Yobe and Maiduguri, providing them with salaries, vehicles, and weapons to help fight the insurgents. However, their operations were halted after orders from above stopped them from confronting bandits in Shinkafi, raising concerns about political and institutional obstacles.
The governor added that his government has supplied 150 new vehicles to security agencies to enhance their capacity, despite criticisms about transparency in such expenditures. He maintained that the priority is to restore peace and ensure that residents can return to their farms and normal lives.
With visible frustration, Lawal spoke about the devastating human toll of banditry in Zamfara, which has become the epicentre of armed violence in northwestern Nigeria. “Bandits are killing, abducting, and displacing our people in broad daylight. Women are widowed, children are orphaned, and farmers cannot access their lands. Kidnapping has become routine,” he lamented.
“There are moments I cry,” he admitted. “I see where bandits should be stopped, but nothing happens because instructions must come from Abuja. I have handed everything to God, but I will never stop doing what I can to restore peace to our people.”
