Zamfara Governor Accuses Security Forces of Ignoring Bandit Intelligence as Kano Realigns with Federal Government
Governor Dauda Lawal criticizes military and police for failing to act on real-time bandit intelligence in Zamfara, while Kano's governor defends his controversial defection to the ruling APC, citing strategic governance needs.
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Nigeria's governance challenges intensified this week as Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal publicly accused federal security forces of treating bandit intelligence as a low priority, while political realignment in Kano State continues to reshape the country's northern political landscape.
Governor Lawal told journalists that despite providing real-time intelligence on bandit movements to both police and military command structures, security operatives have consistently failed to respond with decisive action. "We communicate every movement of bandits to police, military but it's not their priority," Lawal stated, according to Sahara Reporters. The governor emphasized that technological capabilities now enable authorities to track criminal movements in real time, yet this intelligence remains largely unacted upon.
The accusation highlights persistent tensions between state governments and federal security apparatus in Nigeria's northwest, where armed banditry has displaced thousands and disrupted economic activity across multiple states. Zamfara has remained one of the hardest-hit states, with bandits operating across rural communities despite repeated military operations. Governor Lawal's public criticism represents a rare direct challenge to federal security coordination, suggesting deepening frustration among state executives over the handling of the region's security crisis.
Kano's Strategic Realignment
Meanwhile, in Kano State, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf defended his recent defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), framing the move as essential for state development. "Kano is too strategic to stay disconnected from the federal government," Governor Yusuf declared, according to Vanguard News. He argued that alignment with the centre of national governance would accelerate development projects and improve federal resource allocation to the state.
The defection has sent shockwaves through the NNPP, particularly affecting the political base of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the party's presidential candidate in the 2023 elections and Yusuf's former political patron. Legit.ng reported that Kwankwaso's camp faces internal crisis following the appearance of Honourable Ahmad Garba Bichi, a key Kwankwaso ally, alongside APC power brokers at a recent state event. The development suggests potential fractures within the NNPP's Kano structure, with loyalists reportedly reassessing their political positions.
Implications for National Governance
The twin developments underscore contrasting governance challenges facing Nigerian states. In Zamfara, the friction between state and federal security coordination reveals systemic failures in intelligence utilization and inter-governmental cooperation on security matters. Governor Lawal's public criticism may pressure federal authorities to demonstrate more responsive security protocols, though it also risks further politicizing security operations in the northwest.
Kano's political realignment carries different implications for Nigeria's federal structure. As the country's second-most populous state and a commercial hub, Kano's integration into the ruling party strengthens APC's northern dominance ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle. However, the move raises questions about opposition viability and the sustainability of alternative political platforms outside the two major parties, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Political analysts note that Governor Yusuf's defection follows a pattern of governors seeking federal alignment to secure infrastructure funding and political protection, particularly in states facing electoral disputes. The NNPP has not issued an official response to the defection, though party sources indicate emergency consultations are underway to contain potential mass defections from the Kano structure.
For Zamfara, the immediate challenge remains translating Governor Lawal's criticism into tangible security improvements. The state continues to grapple with bandit attacks despite federal troop deployments, with local communities increasingly questioning the effectiveness of current counter-insurgency strategies. Whether federal security chiefs will respond to the governor's allegations or dismiss them as political posturing remains to be seen, but the public nature of the criticism signals that state executives are no longer willing to absorb blame for security failures they attribute to federal inaction.