‘I Refused To Pay ₦300Million Ransom Demanded By Kidnappers For My Brothers’ — Zamfara Governor Lawal

Abuja, Nigeria– Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has revealed that he rejected a ₦300 million ransom demand by kidnappers who abducted his brothers in 2019, insisting that paying ransom only strengthens criminal groups and encourages more abductions.

The governor made the disclosure on Thursday during the ARISE News/THISDAY Town Hall Conference on State Police and National Security held in Abuja, where he also renewed his support for the creation of state police as part of efforts to tackle Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.

According to Lawal, his brothers spent about three months in captivity after they were abducted by bandits, but he refused to negotiate or pay the huge ransom demanded for their release.

“My own brothers were kidnapped in 2019, and the kidnappers demanded about ₦300 million. I told them I was not going to pay a dime. If they wanted to kill them, they could go ahead,” the governor said.

He disclosed that despite his refusal to pay, his brothers were eventually released without any ransom being paid.

Lawal maintained that ransom payments have become one of the major factors sustaining kidnapping and banditry across the country, arguing that criminals are emboldened when they receive financial rewards for their crimes.

“If we continue to pay ransom, we are encouraging these criminals to kidnap more people. The cycle will only continue unless we stop rewarding criminality,” he said.

The governor reiterated that his position has not changed, declaring that he would never negotiate with or pay ransom to kidnappers regardless of the circumstances.

“I will not negotiate, and I will not pay ransom to any criminal, no matter what happens,” he added.

Speaking on Nigeria’s security architecture, Lawal renewed his call for the establishment of state police, arguing that governors currently bear responsibility for security in their states without having the constitutional authority to direct security agencies.

“In as much as I am called the chief security officer of the state, I do not have the command-and-control authority to direct the operations of the security agencies,” he said.

Lawal further stated that he would support the funding of state police if the proposed policing system is adopted, expressing confidence that decentralised policing would strengthen intelligence gathering, improve response times, and enhance efforts to combat insecurity across the country.