Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has disclosed that he once told bandits to kill his two brothers rather than expect him to pay the ₦300 million ransom they demanded for their release, declaring that he would never finance criminality, regardless of the personal cost.
The governor made the revelation during an appearance on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, where he spoke on the worsening security crisis in Zamfara and his administration’s approach to tackling banditry. According to Lawal, the abductors reached out to him after kidnapping his brothers and demanded ₦300 million as ransom.
Rather than negotiate, the governor said he gave a firm response, insisting that he would not pay a single kobo.
“I told them I would not pay. If they wanted to kill my brothers, they should go ahead,” Lawal said, maintaining that paying ransom would only strengthen the criminal gangs responsible for the violence ravaging communities across northern Nigeria.
He explained that while the decision was personally painful, it was necessary to avoid encouraging a business model that thrives on kidnapping innocent citizens for financial gain. According to him, every ransom payment empowers armed groups with more resources to purchase weapons, recruit fighters and launch fresh attacks.
Lawal stressed that governments and public officials must resist the temptation to negotiate with kidnappers, warning that surrendering to ransom demands only perpetuates the cycle of abductions and insecurity.
The governor also renewed his call for the establishment of state police, arguing that Nigeria’s current centralised policing system has proved inadequate in responding to the complex security challenges facing many states.
He said governors are constitutionally recognised as chief security officers of their states but lack operational control over security agencies, limiting their ability to respond effectively to emergencies.
Lawal argued that state police would improve intelligence gathering, strengthen community policing and enable quicker responses to security threats by officers who understand the local terrain, language and social dynamics.
His remarks come as Zamfara continues to battle persistent attacks by heavily armed bandit groups responsible for mass killings, kidnappings and the displacement of thousands of residents. Security experts and several stakeholders have increasingly advocated constitutional reforms to allow states establish their own police forces as part of broader efforts to curb insecurity.
Reaffirming his administration’s resolve, the governor said Zamfara would continue to prioritise intelligence-led operations and collaboration with security agencies while rejecting any policy that rewards criminal groups through ransom payments. He insisted that defeating banditry requires cutting off the financial lifeline that has sustained kidnapping for years.