The governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, has warned that negotiating peace with armed groups while allowing them to keep their weapons undermines state authority and delays long-term stability.
Speaking at the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) in Abuja on Wednesday, Governor Lawal said peace initiatives must include disarmament and reintegration if they are to be effective.
“Allowing armed groups to retain their weapons while setting peace terms simply delays violence and compromises state sovereignty,” he told participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course, EIMC 18, during a lecture themed “Non-state Actors in Security Management: Issues, Challenges, and Prospects for Peace and Development in Africa, A Zamfara State Perspective.”
The governor outlined steps his administration is taking to address insecurity in the north-western state, including the creation of a unified State Security Council to improve coordination among security agencies and the establishment of Community Protection Guards (CPG) to boost intelligence sharing and local surveillance.
He said peace committees have also been set up in all local government areas to mediate conflicts, rebuild trust, and encourage residents to take part in safeguarding their communities.
Lawal attributed Zamfara’s prolonged security challenges to economic hardship, arms proliferation, weak traditional structures, and widespread youth unemployment.
He added that the state government is collaborating with the Office of the National Security Adviser and international partners including Colombia to develop programmes aimed at preventing and countering violent extremism.