Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has disclosed that he refused to pay a N300 million ransom when his brothers were abducted in 2019, insisting that giving in to kidnappers only fuels more criminal activities.
The governor made the revelation on Thursday during the ARISE News and THISDAY town hall conference in Abuja, where he maintained that he would never negotiate with or pay ransom to criminals.
According to Lawal, he told the abductors they could kill his brothers because he would not part with any money. He said the victims were eventually released after spending three months in captivity without any ransom being paid.
> “My own brothers were kidnapped in 2019, and these criminals were demanding at the time about N300 million,” he said.
> “And I said, look, I’m not going to pay a dime. If you like, go and kill them.
> “By the time we continue to pay ransom to these people, we are encouraging them to be kidnapping people more and more.
> “I will not negotiate, and I will not pay ransom to any criminal, no matter what happens.”
Lawal argued that kidnappers would be discouraged from carrying out abductions if victims and their families stopped paying ransoms.
Speaking on the proposed establishment of state police, the governor said governors should have operational control over security agencies in their states if they are expected to be accountable for protecting lives and property.
He described it as frustrating to be referred to as the chief security officer of a state while lacking direct authority over the police and other security agencies.
Lawal stressed that security is the bedrock of development and questioned how governors could be blamed for insecurity without having control over law enforcement.
He said creating state police would make elected leaders directly responsible for security while enabling state governments to adequately fund, equip and train security personnel.
The governor also noted that the Nigeria Police Force suffers from inadequate funding, poor training and low staff welfare, challenges he said have negatively affected the performance of officers.
Highlighting his administration’s efforts, Lawal said the Zamfara State Government currently finances more than 30 per cent of security operations in the state.
He added that the government has supplied over 500 vehicles to security agencies within the last three years, including 35 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles to strengthen operations against bandits.
Lawal further disclosed that the state had procured surveillance and attack drones to support security forces, maintaining that improved funding, training and technology for security agencies, rather than negotiating with armed groups, remains the most effective strategy for tackling banditry and kidnapping.
