Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has distanced his administration from an unauthorised peace mission embarked upon by 50 elderly residents of Magamin Diddi village in Maradun Local Government Area of the state, who were abducted after visiting a bandits’ camp for negotiations.
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The elders were said to have voluntarily visited the camp of a notorious bandit kingpin identified as Jammo, who reportedly controls the Muntsira Forest, in an attempt to secure a peace arrangement that would allow members of their communities to safely access their farmlands during the farming season.
However, the peace overture reportedly ended in tragedy after the bandits rejected the mission and took all 50 delegates hostage.
The incident has generated mixed reactions in Zamfara State, with some residents criticising the continued detention of the elders and accusing the state government of failing to do enough to secure their release.
Reacting to the development during an interview with BBC Hausa, Governor Lawal condemned the action of the bandits but also criticised the elders for embarking on what he described as a dangerous and unauthorised mission without informing the government.
“They did not inform the authority before embarking on such dangerous step they have taken,” the governor said, adding that “they are on their own.”
Lawal questioned why anyone would take it upon themselves to negotiate with terrorists without the approval of the government.
“As I said, who sent them to negotiate? It certainly was not the government. We have consistently stated that we do not support negotiations with terrorists,” he said.
“I heard the reports, but I do not even know who those individuals are.”
The governor said his administration was investigating the matter, but maintained that it was wrong for individuals or communities to initiate talks with bandits when the state government had clearly rejected that option.
He reiterated that since assuming office, his position has remained firm: the Zamfara State Government will not negotiate with terrorists.
“From the outset, my position has been clear: I will not negotiate with terrorists. That remains my position today. I do not see why anyone would take it upon themselves to negotiate with criminals. That is not my policy, nor will it ever be,” Lawal said.
The governor argued that previous administrations in Zamfara had adopted reconciliation and negotiation strategies with bandits without achieving lasting peace.
According to him, such negotiations only empower criminal groups, give them access to more resources and enable them to acquire more weapons instead of abandoning banditry.
Lawal maintained that his administration would continue to confront bandits until they surrender, rather than legitimise their activities through dialogue.
Despite criticisms from some residents who believe dialogue could help reduce killings and kidnappings, the governor insisted that negotiating with armed groups would not end insecurity.
He said the security measures adopted by his administration were yielding results, although he admitted that the state had not achieved total victory over banditry.
“Very much so. I am not saying we have achieved 100 percent success, but there has been progress. As governor, my responsibility is to protect lives and property,” he said.
Lawal also linked the relative improvement in security to increased agricultural production in the state, saying farmers were able to record better output last year because of the gains made in security operations.
“If you look at agricultural production in Zamfara last year, it was unprecedented in recent times, and that was made possible by the relative improvement in security,” he said.
The governor added that anyone who promises to eliminate terrorism overnight is not being truthful, stressing that insecurity is not peculiar to Zamfara but a wider national challenge.
“Terrorism is not unique to Zamfara; it is a challenge in many places. But speaking specifically about Zamfara, I can assure you that the measures we have taken have significantly reduced attacks,” he said.
He explained that intensified military and security operations had mounted pressure on criminal groups, forcing them to relocate and target areas they consider vulnerable.
“At the same time, some attacks will still occur because we have intensified pressure on these criminals. They move to areas they believe are vulnerable,” the governor added.
Lawal expressed optimism that the state would eventually overcome the security challenge.
However, some residents and security watchers have argued that the governor’s refusal to negotiate has increased pressure on rural communities, with many villages reportedly sacked and farming activities disrupted in some areas.
A resident of Gusau, Usman Alkali, claimed that bandits had continued to attack communities in an attempt to force the government into negotiations.
“As a result of Governor Lawal’s stance, hundreds of villages were sacked in the state, while farming activities have totally grounded, as the bandits are bent on pressuring the government to negotiate with them,” he said.
Findings also indicated that some communities, frustrated by repeated attacks, killings and kidnappings, have independently opened channels of negotiation with bandits without the consent of the state government.
Some communities are also said to be paying heavy levies to bandits in order to gain access to their farmlands.
While some residents support the governor’s no-negotiation position, others insist that dialogue may be necessary to reduce bloodshed.
A large-scale farmer in the state, Alhaji Garba Mohammed, who said he had stopped farming for years because of banditry, backed the governor’s stance.
“To me, the issue of negotiating with bandits should be avoided by the government because they are not sincere,” he said.
“The governor should not listen to them because they are not sincere. They are never satisfied with whatever the government will give them. We have seen what happened in the past. They are looking for a way to be getting money from the government and continue purchasing arms to fight the people of the state.”
But another resident and businessman, Alhaji Mustafa Ibrahim, appealed to the governor to reconsider his position and open dialogue with the bandits in order to stop the killings and kidnappings.
“We are tired of these atrocities and we want the government to negotiate with them so that peace will return to the state,” he said.
He argued that similar arrangements in other states had restored some level of peace and allowed economic activities to resume.
“The Kaduna State government has negotiated with the bandits and we have started seeing the result. We have seen how business activities are returning to the state due to peace accord and this is what we want Governor Dauda Lawal to do in Zamfara,” he added.
The abduction of the 50 elders has deepened debate in Zamfara over whether government should continue its hardline security approach or embrace dialogue with bandits as some communities face mounting insecurity, fear and economic disruption.
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