Zamfara Governor Lawal: Paying Ransom Empowers Bandits

Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has reaffirmed his opposition to negotiating with bandits, saying ransom payments give criminals the money to acquire sophisticated weapons and carry out more attacks. He spoke at a media chat on Monday, according to reports. 

The governor said his stance has not changed since he took office, and that kidnapping has increasingly become a business for criminal groups, with ransom payments helping to finance their activities. "If they don't get the money, how do you think they'll get the weapons?" he asked. 

Mr Lawal recalled that two of his brothers, Yusuf and Amba, were abducted in 2025. The kidnappers reportedly demanded ₦300 million for each of them. He said he told his family from the start that he would not contribute toward any ransom, though he did not stop other relatives from acting on their own. 

The governor also criticized negotiations under previous administrations, arguing that bandit groups lack unified leadership, which made such efforts ineffective. He said dealing with one group can provoke another to escalate its attacks. 

His comments come amid continued attacks and abductions in the state this year. In January, five soldiers and a police inspector were killed when suspected bandits ambushed security personnel along the Kwatarkwashi axis in Bungudu Local Government Area. Mr Lawal said his administration is working to improve its response time to attacks, particularly in troubled areas such as Tsafe, and that efforts should focus on strengthening security operations and finding lasting solutions to banditry instead of financing criminals. 

‘I Will Never Pay A Dime To A Criminal,’  Says Gov Lawal 

Source and attribution: This 247NewsCheck report is based on the governor's remarks at a media chat, as reported by Nigerian media outlets including Channels Television. The positions described are the governor's own and are not independent findings by 247NewsCheck.