Northern Front for Peace and Accountability, NFPA, has criticised Governor Dauda Lawal over what it described as the worsening security situation in Zamfara State.
The group accused the governor’s administration of failing to provide leadership amid escalating terrorist attacks and growing public fear.
In a statement issued in Kaduna yesterday, President of the group, Alhaji Musa Kaura said recent incidents, including the suspected bomb explosion along Yar’Tasha–Dansadau road in Maru Local Government Area, had exposed what he called “a dangerous collapse of governance and security coordination” in the state.
Kaura said the latest attack, which left several travellers dead, was not an isolated incident, but part of a broader pattern of violence that has continued unchecked across major highways and rural communities in Zamfara.
He argued that residents are increasingly vulnerable to attacks by armed groups who now operate with “disturbing confidence and frequency.
“The people of Zamfara are under siege. Daily, innocent citizens are killed, abducted or forced to flee their homes, yet the state government appears overwhelmed and largely absent. Leadership is about presence, direction and decisive action, especially in times of crisis. Sadly, these have been missing,” Kaura said.
The group also raised concerns over reports that Governor Lawal had been out of the state for several weeks, describing his absence as “ill-timed and indefensible” given the scale of insecurity confronting Zamfara.
According to NFPA, the governor’s absence has deepened public anxiety and reinforced perceptions of a leadership vacuum at a critical moment.
Kaura said previous administrations had demonstrated that insecurity, while complex, could be confronted with political will, local engagement and coordinated security strategies.
“During former governor Abubakar Yari’s administration, there was a clear strategy, however controversial some aspects were. The governor was visible, security meetings were constant and there was a sense that government was actively confronting the problem. Zamfara needs that urgency again,” Kaura said.
The group warned that continued inaction could embolden terrorists and undermine public confidence in the state government.
The northern group called for an immediate security summit involving traditional rulers, community leaders, security agencies and federal authorities to develop a coordinated response to the crisis.
NFPA also urged the federal government to closely monitor the situation in Zamfara, warning that the state risks becoming a permanent stronghold for armed groups if urgent corrective measures are not taken.
“As citizens bury their dead and abandon their farms and roads, the question on everyone’s lips remains simple: Where is the government of Zamfara State and when will it rise to its responsibility of protecting lives and property?” Kaura queried.
