Zamfara Bandits Demanded ₦600m for My Two Brothers, I Refused to Pay — Governor Lawal

Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal says he refused to pay a ₦600 million ransom demanded by bandits for the release of his two biological brothers after they were kidnapped in 2025, insisting that ransom payments encourage criminal groups to acquire more sophisticated weapons.

In an interview, Lawal said the kidnappers demanded ₦300 million for each brother. He maintained that he would not pay the money, using the experience to explain his long-standing opposition to negotiating with bandits.

The governor’s account highlights the continuing security challenge facing Zamfara, which he described as the epicentre of banditry in Nigeria, and his administration’s approach to tackling kidnapping and armed attacks.

Zamfara State Governor H.E. Dauda Lawal

Why Lawal Rejects Negotiations With Bandits

Lawal argued that paying ransom allows criminal groups to finance further attacks and purchase weapons. He also questioned the effectiveness of previous negotiations with bandits, saying the groups are fragmented and lack a unified leadership that could be held accountable for agreements.

According to the governor, different groups operate independently, making it difficult to establish who would take responsibility for commitments reached during negotiations.

He said his position had remained unchanged since taking office: his administration would not negotiate with bandits.

Lawal also called for stronger political will and a clear command structure to tackle insecurity, arguing that the problem requires a coordinated response rather than repeated negotiations with criminal groups.

Community Protection Guards at the Centre of Zamfara’s Security Strategy

The governor said his administration established the Community Protection Guards (CPG) after recognising the scale of the security challenge and the difficulty conventional security agencies faced in reaching remote communities.

He explained that the state recruited people who already lived in the affected communities and understood the local terrain. The recruits underwent vetting by the Department of State Services (DSS), which the governor said was intended to ensure that those selected had credible backgrounds.

Lawal said the first batch comprised about 3,000 personnel. According to him, the guards underwent three months of training conducted by the DSS, military and police in areas including weapons handling and intelligence gathering. He said the recruitment and training process followed the legislative procedures required to allow them to carry arms legally.

The state also provided motorcycles, vehicles, ammunition and other equipment. Lawal said the guards work alongside conventional security forces and help guide operations in areas where unfamiliar terrain can make access difficult.

He credited the initiative with reducing attacks in communities where the guards operate, although the interview did not provide figures to independently measure the scale of the reported reduction.

The governor added that the Federal Government had also empowered the state to establish forest guards, with recruitment focused on people from communities familiar with the areas being targeted.

Zamfara State Governor H.E Dauda Lawal

Road Construction to Improve Security Response

Lawal identified poor road access as another obstacle to security operations in Zamfara, citing his journey to Anka, an area he described as a major centre of banditry.

He said the journey, covering about 120 kilometres, took him approximately eight hours. The difficult terrain and slow travel, he argued, illustrate the challenges security personnel face when responding to attacks in remote locations.

The governor said road construction in the area was nearing completion and was intended to shorten travel times and improve the speed of security responses.

He argued that better access, combined with community-based security personnel and conventional forces, would make it easier to reach vulnerable communities when attacks occur.

Lawal Says Banditry Is a National Security Threat

The governor warned that banditry and kidnapping should not be treated as problems affecting Zamfara alone. He pointed to incidents in states including Niger and Kaduna, as well as reports of criminal activity extending towards Abuja and Kwara, arguing that the threat could affect any part of the country.

Lawal said insecurity in Zamfara has wider implications for Nigeria and maintained that tackling the problem at its centre is essential to containing its spread.

He also rejected suggestions that his warnings about insecurity were merely political statements, insisting that the threat was real and required sustained action.

The governor said he remained confident that stronger political will and effective coordination could make a decisive difference. However, he did not provide a detailed timeline or independently verifiable evidence in the interview to support his assertion that the crisis could be ended within two months if he were given the necessary command structure.

For communities affected by kidnapping and armed attacks, the central test will be whether the state’s security measures produce sustained reductions in violence, improve emergency response times and make daily life safer.

Lawal’s account of his brothers’ kidnapping underscores the personal cost of the crisis. His administration’s next challenge is to translate its strategy into measurable, lasting security improvements across Zamfara.

Written by Boom RadioNG