Governor Dauda Lawal says he knows bandit leaders’ hideouts in Zamfara but cannot act because security agencies only take orders from Abuja.
Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has sparked outrage after revealing that he knows the exact hideouts of bandit leaders terrorising the state but is powerless to act because security agencies in Zamfara only take directives from Abuja.
In a viral video, Lawal lamented his frustration, insisting he has the intelligence to end banditry but lacks the command authority to mobilise forces. “I swear to Almighty Allah, wherever a bandit leader is in Zamfara State, I know it. If he goes out, I know. With my phone, I can show you where they are today. But we cannot do anything beyond our powers,” he said.
The governor recalled a deadly attack in Shinkafi where troops allegedly stood down until clearance came from the centre. “If today I have the power to give orders to the security agencies, I can assure you, we will end banditry in Zamfara within two months,” he declared.
Despite these constraints, Lawal noted his administration has donated 150 patrol vehicles, recruited Community Protection Guards, and engaged hunters from the northeast to fight insecurity.
Zamfara remains one of Nigeria’s hardest-hit states, with citizens accusing authorities of abandoning them to bandits.