‘I Told Them to Kill My Brothers, I Won’t Pay Ransom’

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has revealed that he refused to pay a N300 Million ransom demanded by kidnappers who abducted his brothers in 2019, insisting that yielding to criminal demands only fuels more kidnappings across the Country.

The Governor made the disclosure on Thursday, July 9 2026, while speaking at the ARISE News and THISDAY Townhall Conference in Abuja, where he recounted the painful experience and reiterated his uncompromising stance against ransom payments.

According to Lawal, the kidnappers demanded N300 million for the release of his brothers, but he chose not to negotiate with them despite the emotional and personal implications of the situation.

“My own brothers were kidnapped in 2019, and these criminals were demanding about N300 million. I said, ‘Look, I’m not going to pay a dime. If you like, go and kill them,’” he stated.

The Governor disclosed that after spending three months in captivity, his brothers were eventually released without any ransom being paid.

Lawal argued that paying ransom only emboldens criminal gangs and encourages them to intensify abductions for financial gain.

“By the time we continue to pay ransom to these people, we are encouraging them to keep kidnapping people more and more,” he said.

He maintained that his position remains unchanged, stressing that he would never negotiate or pay ransom to criminals under any circumstances.

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

The Governor also used the occasion to renew his call for the establishment of state police, saying governors cannot effectively tackle insecurity when they lack operational control over security agencies in their states.

According to him, it is frustrating to be labelled the chief security officer of a state while lacking the authority to direct security operations.

“In as much as I’m being called the chief security officer of the state, I don’t have the command and control structure to determine what happens or give instructions to some of these security officers,” he said.

Lawal noted that security is the bedrock of development and questioned why governors are held responsible for insecurity despite having limited powers over policing and security decisions.

He argued that state police would strengthen accountability by enabling citizens to hold elected leaders directly responsible for security outcomes while giving states the opportunity to adequately fund and train security personnel.

The governor further lamented the challenges facing the Nigeria Police Force, including inadequate funding, poor welfare and insufficient training, which he said have negatively affected the effectiveness and morale of security personnel.

Highlighting efforts by his administration to combat insecurity, Lawal disclosed that Zamfara State currently finances more than 30 per cent of security operations within the state.

He said the government had procured over 500 vehicles for security agencies in the last three years and recently supplied 35 Armoured Personnel Carriers and Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles to boost operations against bandits and kidnappers.

The governor also revealed that his administration has embraced technology in its security strategy by acquiring both surveillance and attack drones to assist security agencies in tracking and combating criminal elements.

Lawal maintained that strengthening security agencies through adequate funding, training and technology deployment remains a more effective solution to banditry and kidnapping than negotiating with armed groups.

His comments come amid growing nationwide calls for the creation of state police and broader security reforms, with advocates insisting that devolving policing powers to states could improve accountability and enhance responses to local security challenges.