Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has opened up on his scary exchange with kidnappers who abducted his brothers a few years back.
The governor said he called the bluff of the kidnappers and told them to go ahead when they threatened to kill his brothers if he did not pay the ransom.
Lawal, who spoke at the ARISE News and THISDAY Townhall Conference in Abuja on Thursday, said he refused to pay the N300 million ransom the kidnappers demanded because it would embolden them and lead to more abductions.
“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,” the governor said.
Lawal said he refused to give in to the demands of the kidnappers despite the cost to him, adding that the kidnappers eventually released his brothers after three months in captivity without receiving any ransom payment.
“By the time we continue to pay ransom to these people, we are encouraging them to kidnap people more and more,” he said.
Lawal maintained that his position on ransom payments had not changed, adding that abductions would become a thing of the past if ransom payments stopped.
“I will not negotiate, and I will not pay ransom to any criminal, no matter what happens,” he declared.
The governor made the remarks while making the case for the establishment of state police, saying governors should be given operational control over security in their states if they are to be held responsible for the lives and property in their domain.
According to him, one of his frustrations as governor is being described as the state’s chief security officer without having authority over security agencies.
“Since I was called or I’m being called the chief security officer of the states, 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.
Lawal said security remains the bedrock of development, noting that it is unfair to hold governors responsible for insecurity when they lack control over policing.
“Why is it difficult for people to understand that my primary responsibility is the protection of lives and property, and I don’t have that control? How do you hold me accountable?” he asked.
The governor said state police would enable citizens to hold elected leaders directly responsible for security outcomes, while also allowing states to provide adequate funding and training for personnel
