National Telescope national telescope newspaper
Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has emphasized that despite his administration’s continued efforts to combat the insecurity plaguing the state, the ultimate fate of its people rests in God’s hands.
Lawal made this remark following his meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“We are doing the best that we can to ensure the safety of lives and property in Zamfara, but the outcome is ultimately in God’s hands,” Governor Lawal stated.
This comment came shortly after an attack in the state where armed bandits killed a police officer and kidnapped several people, including an expatriate and construction workers, along the Tsafe-Funtua road.
Zamfara, a state in Nigeria’s North-West, has faced years of security challenges, primarily driven by the activities of bandit groups involved in kidnappings, killings, and cattle rustling.
The situation has worsened in recent years, forcing thousands of residents to flee their communities. Although the federal government has launched several military operations to root out the bandits, the efforts have seen mixed results, with bandit groups regrouping and launching new attacks.
In a bold accusation earlier this year, Governor Lawal claimed that his predecessor, Bello Matawalle, who is now the Minister of State for Defense, was complicit in supporting bandits during his tenure as governor.
He alleged that Matawalle had even hosted bandits in the Zamfara Government House and called for him to step down from his ministerial role to clear his name.
However, Matawalle firmly denied the accusations, challenging Lawal to swear on the Quran, as he had done, to prove his claims.
Matawalle declared, “I have done nothing wrong, and these allegations are baseless. Let anyone accusing me swear on the Quran if they are truthful.”
Governor Lawal, in his conversation with journalists, acknowledged that the insecurity in Zamfara has been ongoing for over a decade.
“The reality is that insecurity in Zamfara has existed for the past 12 years, and as a responsible government, we are tackling it head-on,” he said.
While declining to go into specifics about his administration’s security measures, Lawal assured that some progress had been made, including the neutralization of several key bandit leaders.
“The security situation is not something I can discuss on camera, but we are doing our best to handle the situation,” he added.
He expressed optimism, stating, “I pray that even by tomorrow, Zamfara residents can go to sleep peacefully. But as I’ve said, the outcome is in God’s hands.”
On a political note, Lawal addressed the ongoing crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has seen the emergence of two factions.
Despite the turmoil, Lawal said, “There is no political party without challenges. We are working to resolve the issues and ensure the PDP remains united.”
He also reiterated his administration’s commitment to empowering girls in the state.
“Zamfara is making significant progress in the area of girls’ empowerment, and we will continue to push forward on this front,” he said.
