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Gov Dauda Lawal’s Weak Leadership Fueling Insecurity in Zamfara — Northern Advocacy Group
A northern civic advocacy organisation, Coalition for Safer North-West Communities (CSNC), has blamed the persistent insecurity in Zamfara State on what it described as the “lack of courage and gross administrative ineptitude” of Governor Dauda Lawal.
A strongly worded statement signed by its President, Alhaji Murtala Shehu Gusau, on Wednesday, said the worsening wave of kidnappings, killings, and banditry in the state reflect a failure of leadership at the highest level of the state government.
The group said despite the deployment of military personnel and federal government interventions, Zamfara remains one of the most dangerous states to live in, owing largely to the governor’s inability to take decisive action and coordinate effective security responses.
“We are alarmed at the continued deterioration of security in Zamfara State, and after a critical assessment, we have no choice but to hold the state government accountable. Governor Dauda Lawal has shown a worrying lack of courage in the face of terror and has consistently failed to provide strategic leadership that inspires confidence among residents or security agencies,” the group declared.
CSNC said Zamfara’s rural communities have become killing fields, while residents in the capital live in daily fear of abductions, despite the governor’s repeated assurances and media statements.
“It is not enough to issue statements from Gusau. What the people need is action. From Dansadau to Maru, Anka to Tsafe, farmers can no longer access their farmlands, women are being kidnapped in broad daylight, and children are growing up under the sound of gunfire,” Alhaji Gusau said.
According to the group, the governor’s approach to security management has been marked by inconsistency, lack of collaboration with federal authorities, and an inability to rally local leaders and traditional institutions towards community-based intelligence gathering.
“Zamfara is bleeding, and the government seems more interested in political propaganda than real solutions. How many more people need to die before we begin to see seriousness? The governor needs to admit that his strategy, if any, has failed and make way for fresh thinking,” the statement added.
CSNC also accused the Lawal administration of sidelining critical stakeholders in the state’s security architecture, including traditional rulers, local vigilantes, and federal agencies, in a bid to centralise control without the capacity to manage such complexity.
“We must stop pretending that things are normal. The situation in Zamfara is a full-blown emergency, and if Governor Dauda Lawal cannot show the willpower to govern in a crisis, then he must accept that leadership is not for him. Zamfara deserves more than photo-ops and empty meetings,” the group insisted.
Alhaji Gusau said the group’s position is based on consistent engagement with affected communities, civil society organisations, and humanitarian workers in the North-West, many of whom have raised alarm over the governor’s silence or delayed responses to critical incidents.
The group also questioned how billions allocated to security in Zamfara’s state budget have been spent, demanding transparency and accountability from the administration.
“We challenge the Zamfara State Government to publish the breakdown of its security spending for 2023 and the first quarter of 2024. We deserve to know what has been done with public funds meant to protect lives,” Alhaji Gusau said.
The group called on the National Assembly, particularly lawmakers from Zamfara, to conduct an independent assessment of the security situation in the state and recommend a pathway to restoring peace.
“This is not the time for partisan silence. Zamfara’s future is at stake. We urge Senator Ikra Aliyu Bilbis and other representatives to raise their voices and ensure that the suffering of our people is not ignored at the national level,” the statement added.
CSNC said it would continue to mount pressure on elected officials at both the state and federal levels until Zamfara experiences a turnaround in security and governance.
“We want peace. But peace will not come through platitudes. It requires bold leadership, integrity, and vision — all of which are sorely lacking in the current state government. Governor Dauda Lawal must wake up to his responsibilities or respectfully step aside for someone who can,” the statement concluded.
More than ₦3 billion was targeted, but about ₦677 million reached the culprits, with recovery and prosecutions underway, reflecting how banks are responding to more sophisticated fraud risks.
Nigeria’s expanding digital banking sector is facing increasingly sophisticated fraud attempts, as financial institutions adapt to faster transactions and broader online services.
A recent case involving First City Monument Bank (FCMB), linked to fraudulent activity detected in December 2025, has drawn attention to how banks are responding to such incidents, with a focus on limiting exposure, recovering funds and working with law enforcement.
According to findings referenced in proceedings before the Lagos State Special Offences Court, the incident involved unauthorised transactions tied to a digital product. Early reports erroneously suggested more than ₦3 billion was lost. Subsequent clarification shows that over ₦3 billion was targeted, ₦2.4 billion was blocked and recovered, while ₦677 million got into the possession of the culprits. This outcome reflects the bank’s cyber security and monitoring capabilities, as well as improved collaboration among regulated financial institutions and with law enforcement agencies. Several suspects and beneficiaries have been apprehended, while recovery and prosecution efforts are ongoing, led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Proceedings at the Lagos State Special Offences Court have resulted in convictions, including that of a repeat offender, with restitution orders issued. Related matters are also being handled at the Federal High Court in Lagos, where additional suspects are being tried in connection with the scheme. This process is aimed at ensuring that bad actors are identified and permanently blacklisted from the financial system.
Authorities say recovery efforts are continuing as additional funds are traced.
Analysts note that the pace of legal action reflects closer coordination between financial institutions and enforcement agencies in addressing cyber-related financial crime.
The case comes as banks contend with more complex fraud methods, including social engineering and automated exploitation of system processes.
As digital products and platforms expand, so too does the risk associated with cyber-crime and related fraud.
“The scale of digital banking means risks are evolving alongside the systems,” said a Lagos-based financial analyst. “Institutions are now judged by how they manage these events.”
Observers say the sector is moving toward a stronger focus on response and recovery, rather than prevention alone.
This includes improving monitoring capabilities, strengthening transaction controls and enhancing collaboration with regulators and law enforcement. The FCMB case, with limited exposure relative to the amount targeted and ongoing recovery, reflects that shift.
For customers, the primary concern is the safety of their funds. In this case, there has been no indication of losses affecting customer deposits. Maintaining that level of protection remains central to sustaining trust in the financial system.
Nigeria’s financial sector continues to grow, supported by digital innovation and expanding access to banking services.
However, analysts say fraud attempts are likely to persist as systems become more complex and interconnected.
They say institutions will increasingly be judged not only on their ability to prevent incidents, but on how effectively they respond and recover when they occur.
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Ex-APC Deputy Guber flag bearer, Joshua MacIver backs Tinubu, express fears over implosion in Bayelsa APC
….congratulates new State Party Chairman, Warman Ogoriba
APC Deputy Governorship Candidate in the 2023 general elections in Bayelsa State, Great Joshua MacIver has declared his total commitment to the re-election of President Bola Tinubu come 2027, declaring that the Tinubu re-election project is non-negotiable.
Great Joshua MacIver, in his statement titled ” BAYELSA APC CONGRESSES: GOING FORWARD, A CALL TO LOOK INWARDS” and made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, warned APC leaders in the state to look Inward and take note of certain factors which may hinder or cut short our victory.
According to Great Joshua MacIver, such noticeable pitfalls include the imbalance in the united front being put up by the State Governor,Senator Douye Diri among various political blocs in the state.
In the statement issued at the weekend. Great Joshua MacIver stated that “First, before His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, joined the APC in the state, there were clearly two political blocs that made up the party, with the approximate population ratios of the blocs standing at 95% to 5%.”
“After the entrance of His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, ONLY THE SMALLER BLOC IS BEING CARRIED ALONG IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE PARTY, leaving the greater percentage to their fate, and this situation has the potential to build anger and dissatisfaction in our dear party.”
” The consequence of this has been the high level defection we have witnessed in the party recently and we believe more may likely follow, if we do not put our house in order.”
” If we do not pull together as a party, we may witness a situation where we will lose key stakeholders, especially after the State and National Assembly Primaries as well the Gubernatorial Primaries.”
“Finally, while it is very clear that we are the party to beat in the 2027 elections and that our loyalty to Mr. President IS NON-NEGOTIABLE, we must make haste to say that we cannot afford to create situations or loopholes in our unity which will be exploited by other political interests in the state. We cannot afford to under-rate anyone.”
“Our core interest remains the re-election of Mr. President, a project to which we have committed our all. We also pledge our total loyalty to the party as we have no alternative to the APC. However, our concern is that we must, as a party, look inwards and ensure that we do not create loopholes that can impede our common goal.”
Great Joshua MacIver, however congratulated the newly elected State Executives of the APC in Bayelsà State led by Hon. Warman Ogoriba, saying their emergence is welcomed at this critical time in our national history.
At least 23 people were killed in a series of suspected suicide bombings, police in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri said on Tuesday.
https://www.stanbicibtcbank.com/nigeriabank/personal/products-and-services/all-loans/stanbic-ibtc-mreif-home-loans
More than 100 other people were injured in the blasts that took place on Monday evening in the capital of Nigeria’s restive Borno state.
No group has claimed responsibility for the suspected attacks.
The deadly blasts come after a military post was attacked overnight Sunday to Monday, which authorities blamed on suspected Islamist militants.
This sad incident is coming barely two weeks after Primate Elijah Ayodele, the Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church specifically warned against attacks in some states. He mentioned these states while calling on security operatives to pay close attention to them.
These were his words:
“Another attack is coming up in these following states where the military must watch carefully and intelligently; Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, Borno, Kwara and Kogi state. They want to do a deadly attack, it’s preventable but it depends on how they will handle it. I have told you about the danger coming up.”
@primateayodele
Unfortunately, some of our military agencies don’t believe spiritual intelligence can save the country from so much danger hence, their neglect of this prophetic warning but now, it has been fulfilled with the miliary losing credibility by the day while Primate Ayodele continues to gain momentum.
Likewise, At least 26 passengers and crew sustained varying degrees of injuries on Monday following an accident involving the Kaduna–Abuja train, according to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
Opeifa explained that the train departed Rigasa in Kaduna at 7:15 a.m. and was approaching Asham station around 9:16 a.m. when a loud bang was heard after the power car and trailing locomotive collided with one of the passenger coaches.
In July 2025, Primate Ayodele asked nigerians to pray not to see train mishap on the Kaduna-Abuja route.
@primateayodele #nigeriantiktok🇳🇬 #fulfillment #train #abuja #primateayodele
“Let’s pray not to see train mishap in Abuja-Kaduna, Kaduna-Abuja route.”
This has also been fulfilled.
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