Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has said he knows the exact locations of bandit leaders operating in the state but lacks the authority to order security agencies into action.
In a viral video that has sparked reactions, Lawal lamented that while he can track bandit movements, security operatives in Zamfara take directives only from Abuja. “I swear to Almighty Allah, wherever a bandit leader is located within Zamfara State, I know it. With my mobile phone, I can show you where these bandits are today. But we cannot do anything beyond our powers,” he said.
The governor, visibly emotional, added that if he had direct control over security agencies, banditry in Zamfara could end within two months. He recalled an incident in Shinkafi Local Government where security operatives failed to act during a bandit invasion because they had not received clearance from Abuja.
Lawal said his administration has provided 150 patrol vehicles to various security outfits, recruited thousands of Community Protection Guards, and engaged 2,000 hunters from Borno and Yobe to boost the fight against banditry. Despite these efforts, the state continues to face repeated attacks.
In the past month, more than 150 people were abducted in Zurmi, Kaura Namoda, and Bukuyum LGAs, while at least 13 people, including 10 security operatives, were killed in an ambush in Adabka. Protests have also erupted in Gusau, where residents accused authorities of failing to protect them from the violence.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday reaffirmed plans to establish state police, deploy forest guards, and acquire drones to strengthen security operations nationwide. “We will defeat insecurity. We must protect our children, livelihoods, and communities. They can’t intimidate us,” Tinubu told a delegation of Katsina elders at the Presidential Villa.
