Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has raised concerns about the persistent bandit activities in the North-Western region, attributing the problem to political interference.
Speaking at a townhall event on Channels Television to commemorate Nigeria’s 25th Democracy Day in Abuja on Wednesday, the governor lamented that valuable human lives are being disregarded.
Governor Lawal highlighted a significant issue with the current security structure, stating, “In name, I am the chief security officer of my state, but when it comes to command and control, I don’t have authority over any of the security outfits, whether it’s the military, the police, or civil defence.”
He emphasized that these security agencies take orders from their higher-ups rather than the governors, which hampers effective control. “We don’t have that control. If we did, it would have been a different story,” he added.
The governor pointed out that the security situation in Zamfara has not improved due to what he termed as political interference. He asserted that security agencies possess the necessary capabilities to eliminate criminal elements across the country, but political meddling has been a major impediment.
“There is so much political interference in this country,” he noted, adding that without such interference, the military has the capacity to crush any criminal threats. He cited the effective performance of Nigerian forces in international peacekeeping missions in Liberia and Sierra Leone as evidence of their potential.
Governor Lawal expressed optimism that with the right political will, banditry and other security challenges could be resolved within two weeks. Zamfara State is one of several states in the region suffering from attacks by criminals known as bandits.
These bandits raid and loot villages, murder residents, and burn houses. They operate from camps located in a vast forest that spans Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger states, and have been responsible for numerous mass kidnappings of students in recent years.
The banditry in the northwest is one of the many severe security challenges Nigerian authorities are currently grappling with. While the bandits are primarily driven by financial motives, there are growing concerns among officials and analysts about their increasing connections with jihadists engaged in a 14-year insurgency in the northeast.
In response to the escalating situation, Governor Lawal announced the creation of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guards in February during a ceremony held in the state capital, Gusau.
