A resident of Kaura Namoda in Zamfara State has accused Governor Dauda Lawal Dare of politicising insecurity following the Peoples Democratic Party’s defeat in a recent bye-election.
The criticism came after the governor’s outcry in the media, which residents described as an attempt to use banditry and violence as political tools.
Umar Musa, speaking on behalf of Kaura Namoda residents, said the governor’s response to insecurity has fallen short of his campaign promises.
“During the 2023 elections, he declared insecurity would end within one or two weeks if elected. Now, over two years into his administration, killings and kidnappings have only worsened,” Musa said.
According to residents, hundreds of lives have been lost, families displaced and millions of naira paid as ransom to bandits. Yet, they say, the governor has not visited Kaura Namoda to console victims or send an official representative.
“When 53 villagers were abducted in Banga, Dauda remained absent. The same silence followed kidnappings in Kurya, Sabon Gari, Jimrawa, Kimadira, Kidaba, Sakajiki and Dan Isa,” Musa added.
Residents accused the governor of only appearing during the bye-election campaign, avoiding several wards where voting was not scheduled.
“We lost 53 of our brothers and sisters in Banga, yet the Governor did not visit. But when elections came, he rushed to campaign. That is not leadership—it is betrayal,” said Malam Yusuf Ibrahim, a Kaura Namoda resident.
Another victim, Aisha from Sabon Gari, whose husband was killed by bandits, expressed frustration: “We expected the Governor to stand with us, but he left us in tears. We had no help from government—only our neighbours. We feel abandoned.”
Some locals say they have resorted to negotiating directly with armed groups to secure a fragile peace for themselves.
Community members argue this survival tactic highlights a government disconnected from the plight of its citizens.
“By politicising insecurity and abandoning victims, Dauda Lawal has stripped himself of credibility,” Musa said. “His administration is one of broken promises and misplaced priorities.”
For many in Kaura Namoda, the bye-election defeat has become a rallying point to question the governor’s leadership, with calls for a more people-centred approach to security.