Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has declared that bandits who reject peace and continue to terrorise innocent communities must face the full consequences of the law, as he hosted a high‑level three‑day Northwest Security Summit in Gusau, vowing that his administration would not negotiate with criminals who threaten the lives and livelihoods of citizens. The governor made the declaration on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at the Government House in Gusau, where he officially opened the summit themed "Appraising the Security Challenges in the Northwest Region," organised by the Nigeria Police Force in collaboration with the Zamfara State Government.
The summit brought together the Inspector‑General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, alongside representatives of the Northwest states, heads of security and intelligence agencies, traditional rulers, community leaders and civil society organisations. Governor Lawal described Zamfara as being "at the frontline of the security challenges confronting the Northwest," stressing that the choice of the state as host provided an appropriate setting for an honest assessment of the region's challenges and the development of practical solutions.
The governor warned that the Northwest's security crisis had exceeded isolated crimes, with organised networks conducting banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling across state borders, threatening livelihoods, food security, education, investment and the social fabric. He noted that the summit also highlighted urban threats such as thuggery, substance abuse and radical infiltration. "This reality demands moving beyond fragmented responses because criminal networks ignore state boundaries," Lawal said, insisting that security operations must operate cohesively across the region.
Lawal called for stronger mechanisms for real‑time intelligence sharing, coordinated operations, inter‑state surveillance, community policing, and sustained disruption of the financial, logistical and supply networks that sustain organised crime. He urged participants to leave Gusau not merely with another diagnosis of insecurity but with actionable options, challenging them to consider practical measures to cut off criminal networks' supply chains and limit their movement. "We must confront operational questions: How do we disrupt supply chains? How do we limit criminals' mobility across forests, communities, and borders? How do we strengthen control over vulnerable corridors without harming legitimate commerce? And how do we identify and dismantle networks of informants and facilitators enabling crime?" he asked.
Earlier, the Inspector‑General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, stressed that the security of the Northwest is a collective responsibility because the region is of enormous importance to Nigeria. "We are combining states to tackle the issue of insecurity. We have come together, we police together, we share intelligence together. We have made up our minds to take the fight to these criminals," Disu declared. He assured that the Nigeria Police Force would continue to deploy its capabilities, personnel and partnerships towards securing the region and supporting the efforts of state governments and other security agencies, while also recognising that policing is most effective when it is supported by the people.
The summit is expected to produce a communique outlining a coordinated regional security framework, with participants focusing on intelligence sharing, joint operations and the dismantling of criminal networks that have held communities across the North‑West hostage for years. The decision to host the summit in Gusau, the heart of Zamfara State, underscores the gravity of the security challenges facing the region, where banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling have displaced thousands and crippled local economies. Governor Lawal's firm stance against negotiation with bandits signals a departure from previous approaches that had sought dialogue with criminal elements, reflecting a growing consensus among regional leaders that only decisive military and law enforcement action can restore peace.
As the three‑day summit continues, the people of the North‑West watch with cautious hope, praying that the commitments made in Gusau will translate into tangible results on the ground. For Governor Lawal and the security chiefs gathered in the Zamfara capital, the message is clear: the era of impunity for bandits is over, and the full force of the law will be brought to bear on those who refuse to embrace peace.
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