Peace deal with bandits undermines state authority – Zamfara gov

Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has warned that peace negotiations allowing armed groups to retain their weapons while dictating terms only postpone violence and undermine state authority. He stated this on Wednesday while delivering a lecture to participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 18 at the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) […]

Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has warned that peace negotiations allowing armed groups to retain their weapons while dictating terms only postpone violence and undermine state authority.

He stated this on Wednesday while delivering a lecture to participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 18 at the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) in Abuja.

A statement by his spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, said the lecture was themed “Non-state Actors in Security Management: Issues, Challenges, and Prospects for Peace and Development in Africa – A Zamfara State Perspective.”

Participants included officials from key Nigerian security agencies and counterparts from other African nations, including Chad, Ghana, Rwanda, Somalia, and Gambia.

Governor Lawal cautioned against unregulated peace efforts in parts of the North-West, emphasising that “dialogue can aid conflict management, but true peace requires disarmament and reconciliation without control equates to surrender.

“Allowing armed groups to keep their weapons while setting peace terms simply delays violence and compromises state sovereignty.

“At this crucial time, peace efforts should be strong, coordinated, state-led, and backed by legitimate authority. The State must show it has both the capacity and the will to enforce peace. Sustainable peace arises when armed actors acknowledge the rule of law and the government’s commitment to protect its citizens.”

Governor Lawal stated that the Zamfara experience reflects broader local and continental struggles for peace and stability.

He traced the state’s security crisis to years of economic deprivation, resource competition, climate change, arms proliferation, weakened traditional structures, and youth unemployment.

 

“When we assumed office in 2023, we made security of life and property our top priority. Effective security management, however, requires active community participation,” he said.

 

He outlined his administration’s three-pronged strategy: improved coordination among security agencies through a unified State Security Council, the creation of Community Protection Guards (CPG) to support law enforcement, and enhanced intelligence sharing between traditional institutions, local councils, and security operatives.

 

To foster durable peace, he added, the state established peace committees in all local government areas, involving emirs, imams, women, and youth leaders to mediate conflicts and rebuild trust.

 

Zamfara also collaborates with the Office of the National Security Adviser and international partners like Colombia on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) programmes, he said.