Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has said he personally knows the hideouts of notorious bandit leaders, declaring that banditry would be wiped out in his state within two months if governors had direct control over security agencies.
He however worried that he cannot order any action against them due to constitutional constraints.
Zamfara has been one of the worst-hit states in Nigeria’s decade-long wave of rural banditry. Armed gangs have unleashed repeated attacks, displacing thousands and killing scores. While state governors are constitutionally referred to as “chief security officers,” they remain largely powerless as the military, police, and intelligence services take orders only from Abuja. Calls for state police have grown louder as governors like Lawal complain about helplessness in dealing with the crisis.
Sharing his frustration, the governor narrated how security agencies failed to intervene when bandits struck Shinkafi Local Government despite early alerts because they lacked clearance from higher authorities.
“I swear to Almighty Allah, wherever a bandits’ leader is located within Zamfara State, I know it, and if he goes out, I know. With my mobile phone, I can show you where and where these bandits are today. But we cannot do anything beyond our powers,” he said.
Lawal added that he often breaks down emotionally because of the situation.
“Most of the time, I shed tears for my people because I can see a problem but, because I don’t have control over the security agencies, I cannot order the security operatives to act in time,” he lamented.