GUSAU, ZAMFARA STATE — Declaring an uncompromising stance against criminal elements, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has asserted that bandits who reject peaceful coexistence and continue to terrorize innocent citizens will face the full, unyielding weight of the law.
Governor Lawal made the declaration on Wednesday at the Government House in Gusau while opening a three-day Northwest Security Summit convened by the Nigeria Police Force. Organized under the theme ‘Appraising the Security Challenges in the Northwest Region’, the high-level gathering featured the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Rilwan Disu, alongside regional security chiefs, intelligence officers, traditional rulers, community leaders, and civil society organizations.
Frontline Focus and Regional Coordination
Commending the Nigeria Police Force for selecting Zamfara State as the summit's host, Governor Lawal noted that the state remains at the center of the security crisis in the Northwest, making Gusau an ideal venue for honest assessment and actionable strategy.
"The Northwest's security crisis exceeds isolated crimes," Governor Lawal stated. "Organised networks conduct banditry, kidnapping, and cattle rustling across borders, threatening livelihoods, food security, education, investment, and the social fabric. The summit also highlights urban threats such as thuggery, substance abuse, and radical infiltration."
Emphasizing that criminal syndicates operate across state lines, the governor called for an end to fragmented security responses in favor of real-time intelligence sharing, inter-state surveillance, joint operational planning, and the aggressive disruption of logistical and financial networks.
"We must challenge ourselves to leave Gusau not merely with another diagnosis of insecurity, but with actionable options," Lawal urged, tasking security leaders to focus on cutting off bandit supply chains, closing vulnerable corridors, and dismantling informant networks.
Unified Police Front
In his opening address, Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to restoring lasting peace across the Northwest, describing the region's security as a paramount national responsibility.
“We are combining states to tackle the issue of insecurity," IGP Disu stated. "We have come together, we police together, we share intelligence together. We have made up our minds to take the fight to these criminals."
The IGP assured state governments and residents that the police force will continue to deploy tactical capabilities and personnel throughout the region, while emphasizing that effective policing relies heavily on community trust and public cooperation.
