Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has reiterated his opposition to paying ransom to kidnappers, revealing that he refused to pay the ₦300 million demanded for the release of his brothers after they were abducted in 2019.
Speaking on Thursday at the Arise News/THISDAY Town Hall Conference on State Police and National Security in Abuja, Lawal said he stood firm despite the kidnappers’ demands.
Recounting the ordeal, the governor said, “My own brothers were kidnapped in 2019, and these criminals were demanding at the time about ₦300 million. And I said, ‘Look, I’m not going to pay a dime. If you like, go and kill them.'”
He disclosed that his brothers were eventually released after spending three months in captivity without any ransom being paid.
Lawal argued that paying ransom only encourages kidnappers to continue abducting more victims.
“By the time we continue to pay ransom to these people, we are encouraging them to be kidnapping people more and more,” he said.
The governor stressed that his position remains unchanged, adding, “I will not negotiate, and I will not pay ransom to any criminal, no matter what happens.”
Lawal also renewed his call for the establishment of state police, saying governors cannot be held fully responsible for security without having operational control over security agencies.
He noted that while governors are often referred to as chief security officers of their states, they lack the command structure needed to direct security personnel.
“In as much as I was called or I’m being called the chief security officer of the state, however, I don’t have the command and control structure to determine what happens or give instructions to some of these security officers,” he said.
