Dauda Lawal: Allowing bandits to keep weapons during negotiations counterproductive

Dauda Lawal, governor of Zamfara, says peace negotiations that allow armed groups to retain their weapons only postpone violence and erode the authority of the state.

Lawal spoke on Wednesday while delivering a lecture to participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 18 at the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) in Abuja.

In a statement, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the governor’s spokesperson, said the lecture was titled: ‘Non-state Actors in Security Management: Issues, Challenges, and Prospects for Peace and Development in Africa – A Zamfara State Perspective.’

The participants, according to the statement, included officials from Nigeria’s security agencies and counterparts from Chad, Ghana, Rwanda, Somalia, and Gambia.

Lawal said the forum offered a chance to reflect on Zamfara’s experience, which mirrors broader security and development challenges across Africa.

He noted that Africa’s security landscape has evolved over the past two decades, with the monopoly of force once held by the state increasingly contested by non-state actors.

“The idea that the state has exclusive control over the use of force is being challenged by community vigilantes, civil defence groups, insurgents, bandits, and transnational criminal networks,” he said.

The governor added that the crisis in Zamfara stems from years of social and economic grievances, resource competition, climate change, and proliferation of small arms caused by regional conflicts.

“When we assumed office in 2023, we made it clear that security of life and property remains the essence of governance,” he said.

“Effective security management cannot succeed without the active participation of the local community.”

He said Zamfara’s approach rests on three pillars: stronger coordination among security agencies, the creation of Community Protection Guards to support law enforcement, and improved intelligence sharing among traditional rulers, local councils, and security operatives.

The governor added that peace committees were set up across all local government areas, including emirs, imams, and youth leaders, to mediate disputes and rebuild trust.

“We also partnered with the Office of the National Security Adviser and international partners such as Colombia on preventing and countering violent extremism, focusing on rehabilitation and trauma healing,” he said.

Lawal warned against what he described as “unregulated peace efforts” in parts of the north-west, saying true peace requires disarmament.

“Dialogue can aid conflict management, but reconciliation without control equates to surrender,” he said.

“Allowing armed groups to keep their weapons while setting peace terms only delays violence and compromises state sovereignty.”

He added that peace initiatives must be strong, coordinated, and state-led to restore public confidence in the rule of law.

“Sustainable peace arises when armed actors acknowledge the rule of law and the government’s capacity to protect citizens,” the governor said.