Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, has ruled out any form of negotiation with armed groups terrorising the state, insisting that his administration will continue to confront banditry through sustained security operations.
Lawal made the position known on Thursday while reacting to ongoing insecurity concerns and renewed calls by some stakeholders for dialogue with bandits as a pathway to peace.
The governor maintained that engaging criminal groups in negotiations would amount to legitimising violence and weakening state authority, stressing that government must not appear inferior to non-state actors.
“I do not accept that terrorists are stronger than the government. Therefore, as Governor of Zamfara State, I will not negotiate with terrorists,” he declared.
He further questioned the outcomes of previous peace deals in other states where similar approaches had been adopted, arguing that such arrangements had not guaranteed lasting peace or an end to attacks.
According to him, any attempt to sit with armed criminals sends the wrong signal and undermines ongoing efforts by security agencies to restore stability in the state.
While acknowledging that Zamfara continues to grapple with serious security challenges, Lawal insisted that his administration has not lost control of the situation, adding that coordinated security interventions remain ongoing across affected communities.
The governor also addressed recent protests by residents along the Shinkafi–Kaura Namoda corridor over rising attacks, noting that citizens were within their rights to express frustration over insecurity.
He, however, urged calm, assuring that government is intensifying efforts to protect lives and property and restore normalcy in troubled areas of the state.
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