Zamfara government: Talking with bandits erodes state power

 

Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has cautioned that negotiating a peace deal with armed groups while permitting them to keep their weapons compromises state authority and postpones long-term stability.

Lawal made this statement on Wednesday while speaking to students in the Executive Intelligence Management Course, EIMC, 18 on the topic of "Non-state Actors in Security Management: Issues, Challenges, and Prospects for Peace and Development in Africa – A Zamfara State Perspective" at the National Institute for Security Studies, NISS, in Abuja.

He emphasized that dialogue must accompany disarmament and reconciliation, and warned against unchecked peace agreements in the North-West.

The governor claimed that letting armed groups retain their weapons while establishing terms for peace only serves to postpone conflict and undermine state sovereignty.

Lawal described the security strategy of his government, which includes establishing Community Protection Guards (CPG), enhancing intelligence sharing between law enforcement and local institutions, and fortifying coordination among security organizations through a single State Security Council.

According to him, peace committees have also been set up in every local government unit to resolve disputes, foster community involvement in security initiatives, and restore confidence.

He claims that youth unemployment, weak traditional structures, economic hardship, and the spread of armaments are the main causes of the state's security issues.

Lawal went on to say that Zamfara is working on initiatives to prevent and combat violent extremism in coordination with the Office of the National Security Adviser and other foreign partners, such as Colombia.