Zamfara Governor Lawal Rejects Bandit Negotiations

Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has firmly rejected the idea of negotiating with bandits after 50 elders from Magamin Diddi village were kidnapped. The elders were taken hostage after a failed peace negotiation attempt with a notorious bandit kingpin named Jammo.

Lawal condemned the unauthorized mission undertaken by the elders, stating that it was done without government approval and expressed disgust at their actions. He reiterated that the state government would not engage in dialogue with bandits, emphasizing that previous reconciliation efforts had failed to yield positive results and had only empowered criminals.

Lawal's administration is focused on fighting banditry and has committed to thorough investigations regarding the kidnapping incident. He criticized the notion of negotiating with terrorists, asserting that such actions would not change the state’s security situation and would only embolden bandits to continue their criminal activities.