A faction of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, led by Hon. Bashir Aliyu Gummi, has accused Governor Dauda Lawal of failing to protect citizens from worsening insecurity across the state. The group, operating as a parallel assembly, said they are willing to go to prison in their quest to speak up for the people.
During a sitting on Wednesday, the lawmakers condemned the governor’s alleged silence and inaction following a wave of deadly attacks and mass abductions by bandits in several communities.
“Innocent communities were attacked. Just within one week, Jangebe in Talata-Mafara saw hundreds abducted and others killed. Damri in Bakura and Kyambarawa in Kaura Namoda also suffered similar horrors,” Gummi said.
He further criticized the governor for allegedly ignoring the crisis and traveling on annual leave without offering condolences or support to affected communities.
Also speaking, Hon. Aliyu Ango Kagara, representing Mafara South, claimed that despite receiving about ₦2 billion monthly for security, the state government has failed to respond effectively to the crisis.
“Our people are now homeless. Some lost entire families, yet nothing has been done. There is no trace of the billions being spent,” Kagara stated.
The lawmakers vowed to continue holding the government accountable, even if it means facing arrest or imprisonment.
But in a swift response, the governor’s Special Adviser on Political Matters, Alhaji Iliyasu Buhari Maijega, dismissed the group as an illegal body.
“The court has already declared them unconstitutional. Security agencies must not allow these individuals to destabilize the state for selfish interests,” Maijega warned.
Zamfara State has been one of the hardest-hit regions in Nigeria’s ongoing security crisis, with frequent attacks by armed bandits leading to deaths, kidnappings, and mass displacement of residents.