Gov Lawal Reveals He Rejected N300m Ransom, Told Kidnappers To Kill His Brothers

• Governor Lawal says he refused to negotiate with abductors despite threats to his brothers’ lives.
• Lawal insists ransom payments fuel kidnapping and embolden criminal gangs across the country.
• Governor renews call for state police, says governors cannot secure states without operational control.

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has revealed that he rejected a N300 million ransom demand from kidnappers who abducted his brothers in 2019, insisting he would rather lose them than encourage the criminal enterprise through ransom payments.

Speaking at the ARISE News and THISDAY Town Hall Conference in Abuja, Lawal said he deliberately refused to negotiate with the kidnappers, arguing that paying ransom only strengthens criminal networks and fuels more abductions.

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The governor disclosed that he told the kidnappers to kill his brothers if they wished because he would not part with any money to secure their freedom.

“My brothers were kidnapped in 2019, and the kidnappers demanded about N300 million. I told them I would not pay a kobo. If they wanted to kill them, they should go ahead,” Lawal said.

According to him, the abductors eventually released the victims after about three months in captivity without receiving any ransom.

Lawal maintained that the refusal to negotiate sent a clear message that kidnapping should not be treated as a profitable venture.

He argued that continued payment of ransom has encouraged criminal groups to intensify abductions across the country, stressing that the trend would persist unless victims’ families and governments stopped yielding to such demands.

The governor said ending ransom payments would force criminal groups to reconsider kidnapping as a means of making money.

On the ongoing debate over state policing, Lawal reiterated his support for the establishment of state police, saying governors should be given operational control of security agencies if they are expected to protect lives and property within their states.

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

According to him, effective security management requires accountability, which can only be achieved when state governments have direct control over policing.

Lawal also expressed concern over the welfare and operational challenges confronting the Nigeria Police Force, citing inadequate funding, poor training and insufficient motivation for personnel.

He disclosed that the Zamfara State Government currently finances more than 30 per cent of security operations within the state to support ongoing efforts against banditry and other violent crimes.

The governor added that his administration has provided more than 500 operational vehicles to security agencies over the past three years and recently supplied 35 armoured personnel carriers and mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles to strengthen security operations.

He further revealed that the state had invested in surveillance and attack drones to improve intelligence gathering and boost the fight against bandits terrorising communities.

Lawal maintained that strengthening security agencies through improved funding, training, equipment and technology remains a more sustainable solution to insecurity than negotiating with armed groups or paying ransom demands.