Zamfara Hosts Northwest Security Summit as Lawal Rejects Negotiation with Bandits

By Aisha Dinawa

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has declared that bandits who reject peace and continue to threaten innocent citizens must face the full weight of the law.

Governor Lawal made the declaration on Wednesday while declaring open a three-day Northwest Security Summit held at the Government House in Gusau and organised by the Nigeria Police Force.

The summit, themed “Appraising the Security Challenges in the Northwest Region,” was attended by the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, as well as representatives of Northwest states, heads of security and intelligence agencies, traditional rulers, community leaders and civil society organisations.

The governor described Zamfara as an appropriate venue for the summit, given the state’s position at the frontline of the security crisis affecting the Northwest.

He said insecurity in the region had gone beyond isolated criminal incidents, with organised groups involved in banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling operating across state and national borders.

According to him, the crisis is threatening livelihoods, food security, education, investment and the social fabric of communities, while urban challenges such as thuggery, substance abuse and radical infiltration are also becoming concerns.

Lawal stressed the need for states in the region to move away from fragmented security responses, arguing that criminal networks do not recognise state boundaries.

He called for stronger real-time intelligence sharing, coordinated security operations, inter-state surveillance, community policing and sustained efforts to disrupt the financial, logistical and supply networks supporting organised crime.

The governor urged participants to ensure that the summit produced practical solutions rather than another assessment of the region’s security challenges.

He particularly advocated measures to disrupt criminal supply chains, restrict the movement of bandits through forests and communities, strengthen security along vulnerable corridors and identify networks of informants and other facilitators aiding criminal activities.

Earlier, IGP Disu described security in the Northwest as a collective responsibility, noting the strategic importance of the region to Nigeria.

He said security agencies and the states were increasingly working together by sharing intelligence and coordinating operations against criminal elements.

“We have made up our minds to take the fight to these criminals,” the IGP said, stressing that the police would continue deploying personnel, capabilities and partnerships to support state governments and other security agencies.

Disu, however, noted that effective policing also depends on the cooperation and support of members of the public.

The summit is expected to provide a platform for security stakeholders across the Northwest to develop coordinated strategies for tackling banditry, kidnapping and other forms of organised crime affecting the region.