Dauda Lawal: Paying Ransom Empowers Bandits to Acquire Sophisticated Weapons

Dauda Lawal, governor of Zamfara, says paying ransom to bandits empowers them because they use the money to acquire sophisticated weapons.

In an interview with Channels TV, Lawal said he would never negotiate with bandits, adding that this has always been his position.

“I would say this: my stance has always been no negotiation with the bandits. From day one, and I still maintain that stance,” he said.

“People are going into this because it’s more like a business now: kidnapping people, asking for ransom. You are empowering the bandits.

“Because for every dime that you pay, that is what they use to get all these sophisticated weapons they use. If they don’t get the money, how do you think they’ll get the weapons?”

Lawal recalled an incident in which two of his brothers were kidnapped and the abductors demanded a ransom of N300 million for each person.

He said he told the abductors that he would not pay the sum.

“You already have these people under your custody. You came to pick them yourself. They didn’t go there. They even came to their houses and picked them,” he said.

“And you expect me to pay money to secure their freedom? I said no, I would not do that.

“Because I would rather do something with that money. I’m a very strong believer that if they are meant to die, within that period, they would die.

“Nobody would do anything. But I would not give up my money to a criminal and empower him to do more.”

Speaking about negotiations with bandits under previous administrations, Lawal said the approach did not yield positive results because the bandits are not organised.

He said negotiating with one group could make another group feel ignored or undervalued.

“It happens severally, and I’ve seen it. Where when you negotiate with A, B would think that you’re underrating him,” he said.

“And therefore, that is when he would show that he’s also, you know, somebody to recognise.

“So how do you go into negotiations with this kind of people? Nobody takes responsibility. Nobody takes leadership.”