Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has said the raging insecurity in his state would be crushed in just two months if he had the authority to command security agencies directly.
In a viral video, he claimed he knows where a top bandit leader is located and can track their movements on his phone, but the constitutional setup prevents him from acting.
Zamfara has become the epicentre of Nigeria’s banditry crisis, with repeated mass killings, kidnappings, and village raids. Many analysts argue that the inability of governors to deploy security forces directly is a major weakness in Nigeria’s federal system. Despite being described as “chief security officers,” governors must rely on federal directives before police or soldiers can act, often delaying response to attacks. Lawal said this gap has left his people vulnerable and deepened their suffering.
Recalling a recent incident, he explained that bandits attacked Shinkafi Local Government but security forces could not respond because they awaited orders from Abuja.
“I swear to Almighty Allah, wherever a bandits’ leader is located within Zamfara State, I know it, and if he goes out, I know. With my mobile phone, I can show you where and where these bandits are today. But we cannot do anything beyond our powers,” the governor said.
The visibly emotional Lawal added: “Most of the time, I shed tears for my people because I can see a problem but, because I don’t have control over the security agencies, I cannot order the security operatives to act in time.”
