I told kidnappers to kill my brothers rather than pay N300m ransom – Gov Dauda Lawal

ZAMFARA State Governor Dauda Lawal has revealed that he refused to pay a N300 million ransom demanded by bandits who abducted his brothers in 2019, insisting that yielding to criminal demands only fuels the cycle of kidnapping across the country.

Speaking on Thursday at the ARISE News/THISDAY Town Hall Conference in Abuja, Lawal said he told the kidnappers to kill his brothers rather than expect any payment, maintaining that he would never negotiate with criminals under any circumstances.

According to the governor, the abductors held his brothers captive for 3 months before eventually releasing them without receiving any ransom.

“My own brothers were kidnapped in 2019, and these criminals were demanding about ₦300 million,” Lawal said.

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“I told them, ‘Look, I’m not going to pay a dime. If you like, go and kill them.’ If we continue paying ransom to these people, we are encouraging them to kidnap more people. I will not negotiate, and I will not pay ransom to any criminal, no matter what happens.”

Lawal argued that ending ransom payments would discourage kidnappers from targeting innocent citizens, as the financial incentive driving the crime would diminish.

The governor also renewed his call for the establishment of state police, saying governors should have operational control over security agencies if they are to be held accountable for protecting lives and property.

He described it as contradictory for governors to be labelled chief security officers of their states while lacking authority over the police and other security formations.

According to him, security remains the bedrock of economic growth and development, stressing that effective policing requires decentralisation, adequate funding and stronger local accountability.

Lawal said his administration was prepared to finance a state police structure, noting that the Nigeria Police Force continues to grapple with inadequate funding, poor welfare and insufficient training, which have affected officers’ effectiveness.

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Highlighting his administration’s investment in security, the governor said the Zamfara State government currently funds more than 30 percent of security operations in the state.

He disclosed that the government has supplied more than 500 operational vehicles to security agencies over the past 3 years, in addition to 35 armoured personnel carriers and mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles to strengthen the fight against banditry.

Lawal added that the state had also acquired surveillance and attack drones to improve intelligence gathering and support security forces in combating armed criminal groups.

He maintained that improving the capacity of security agencies through better funding, training and modern technology offers a more sustainable solution to insecurity than negotiating or paying ransom to bandits.