Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State issued a strong caution against unregulated peace deals with armed groups, stating that allowing them to retain their weapons “delays violence and compromises state sovereignty.”
Speaking at the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) in Abuja, the Governor argued that in the North-West, any dialogue must be directly linked to disarmament and reconciliation to achieve lasting stability.
Zamfara’s Security Strategy:
Governor Lawal outlined his administration’s multi-faceted approach to tackling the crisis:
• Unified Command: Strengthening security coordination through a single State Security Council.
• Local Defense: Establishing Community Protection Guards (CPG).
• Grassroots Mediation: Setting up peace committees in all local government areas to mediate conflicts and rebuild trust.
• Root Causes: Identifying core challenges as economic deprivation, arms proliferation, weak traditional structures, and youth unemployment.
He concluded that Zamfara is now collaborating with the Office of the National Security Adviser and international partners, including Colombia, to implement programs aimed at preventing and countering violent extremism. Essentially, he’s saying, “No disarmament, no peace. The state won’t be held hostage.”
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