No political will to end banditry – Governor Dauda Lawal laments
Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara has lamented the absence of political will to end the operations of bandits in the state.
According to Governor Lawal, President Bola Tinubu is not receiving accurate security briefings regarding the severity of the bandit operations in Zamfara.
Following his meeting with President Tinubu on March 26, Governor Lawal described Zamfara as the “center of banditry” in northern Nigeria.
He warned that the escalating insecurity in the region could potentially spread and destabilize the entire northern part of the country if immediate actions are not taken.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily program on Tuesday, Governor Lawal asserted that with commitment from the government, the banditry issue in Zamfara could be resolved within two weeks.
“While we are trying to take care of the situation, somebody, somewhere, somehow, behind our back, is negotiating with bandits… as a governor of a state, without my knowledge,” he said.
“When the situation really got bad, I had to meet Mr President and complain one-on-one, and I told him the true situation of what Zamfara is facing in terms of security.”
When asked if he believes the president is “properly briefed” on the actual state of things, the governor said: “Based on the conversation we had, the answer is no. And I had to explain everything to him, what we are going through and what needs to be done.
“Zamfara state has become the hub of banditry in northern Nigeria. If you can take care of Zamfara today, believe me, you’d have solved 90 percent of the banditry issue in northern Nigeria as a whole.
“If we are committed, if we are serious, we can take care of this situation within two weeks maximum. But the political will is not there.”
