The Zamfara State chapter of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) has slammed Governor Dauda Lawal for his comments on bandits activities, and accused him of sabotaging the federal government’s efforts to end insecurity in the state.
In a statement signed by its publicity secretary, Yusuf Idris Gusau, the APC expressed shock that the governor admitted to Knowing the movement of bandits’ kingpins and their gangs but could not do anything to rid Zamfara forests of the scourge or give intelligence to security agencies.
The Daily Crucible reports that Governor Dauda Lawal had in a trending video boasted that he could wipe out banditry in the troubled state within two months if he had control over security agencies.
In the video, Lawal explained that he knew the exact locations where the bandits hide to carry out their heinous crime or banditry, but unable to take action to stop them because security officers in Zamfara take orders only from Abuja, and not from him.
“I swear to Almighty Allah, wherever a bandit leader is in Zamfara State, I know it. If he goes out, I know.
“With my phone, I can show you where they are today. But we cannot do anything beyond our powers.”
The governor recalled a case in Shinkafi Local Government Area where bandits attacked residents and security forces refused to move without directive from Abuja.
But in a statement noted that by his utterances, Governor Lawal exposed his complicity when he told newsmen recently that he knows all the bandit camps operating in Zamfara forests and their every movement, yet failed to combat them and ultimately end the menace.
“As a party, we don’t know why he is harbouring them in the state and continues to allow them to remain, kill and abduct innocent citizens of the state or perhaps because he wants to use them directly or otherwise against his political rivals, especially from the APC.
“The chief security officer of the state has consistently refused to take proactive measures against them, but only says that if he had the authority, he’d bring banditry to an end in the state within two weeks.
“Apart from being delusional in having the presidential powers with which to eliminate the carnage, the governor forgot that he has set up as well as armed the state’s community protection guard on who only he has powers and only he can direct them to the bandits hideouts which he knows so that they can go and smoke them out, but no, he would rather play politics by always saying the issue of security is in the hands of the federal government also forgetting that the people accepted him to emerge as governor in 2023, because his campaign slogan and promises centered almost entirely on the fact that he’ll eliminate armed bandits within his first two months in office,” the party said.
It also accused Governor Lawal of failing to partner with the federal government to clear the state of bandits, knowing that doing so would spell doom and stripped him of the only weapon he’s using in condemning the APC under Matawalle.
The APC asked, “Has the governor visited or solicited support from the state security critical stakeholders? Since he assumed office, how often has he held security meetings with all stakeholders?”
