Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State said he does not have the control over security in the state.
Lawal stated this at a town hall meeting on Channels Television marking Nigeria’s 25th Democracy Day in Abuja on Wednesday.
He decried the bandits activities in the North-Western state, blaming the situation on what he described as political interference.
According to Governor Lawal, precious human lives are being toyed with.
He said, “By name, I am the chief security officer of my state but when it comes to command and control, I don’t have control over any of the security outfits whether the military, the police or civil defence.
“They take their instructions from their superiors, not from the governors. We don’t have that control, I wish we did, it would have been a different story.”
He said the security situation has not improved owing to what he described as political interference in the state.
According to the governor, the security agencies have all it takes to crush criminal elements across the country.
Speaking on the issue of banditry in Zamfara State, he said, “There is so much political interference in this country.
“Political interference is the major factor here. If we don’t have that, the military have the capacity to crush anybody. Remember, we do have our forces in Liberia, Sierra Leone and they did very well.”
He expressed optimism that banditry and other security challenges can be crushed within two weeks if there is political will.
Recall that Zamfara State is one of several in the region plagued by criminals known as bandits who raid and loot villages, kill residents and burn houses to the ground.
Governor Lawal, in February, declared the formation of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guards at a ceremony in the state capital Gusau.
