Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State hosted a police security summit and vowed that the government will not negotiate with bandits.
The stance marks a shift in strategy for the region, where banditry has plagued the North-West. By rejecting dialogue, the administration aims to end the cycle of ransom payments and force armed groups to face legal consequences.
Lawal said that bandits who refuse peace and threaten innocent people must face the full consequences of the law. He said that the government will never negotiate with bandits [3]. The summit focused on coordinating security agencies to confront the escalating violence in the region [1].
Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu participated in the summit to discuss joint security efforts. Disu said that no single security agency, government, or institution can secure the North-West alone [4]. The governor's refusal to negotiate comes at a critical time for the state, as 50 Zamfara elders remain captive [5].
Lawal said that the state must ensure those who reject peace are held accountable. The summit served as a platform to align the goals of the police and other security institutions to prevent further kidnappings and attacks [2].
Security officials at the summit discussed the need for intelligence sharing and rapid response mechanisms. The governor said that the goal is to restore stability to the North-West through law enforcement rather than concessions to criminal elements [1].
“We will never negotiate with bandits.”
The decision to end negotiations represents a hardline approach to security in Nigeria's North-West. While intended to deter future kidnappings by removing the financial incentive of ransoms, the immediate risk remains high for the 50 elders currently held captive. The success of this policy depends entirely on the ability of the police and military to provide a security umbrella that replaces the previous reliance on negotiated releases.
