The Northern Security and Integrity Forum (NSIF) has accused Dauda Lawal, governor of Zamfara, of putting “politics over lives” following his recent engagement with leaders of armed groups in the state.
In a statement issued on Friday in Gusau and signed by its national president, Sulaiman Ali Mustapha, the forum described the governor’s participation in peace meetings with wanted bandit leaders as a “shameful U-turn” that betrays public trust.
Part of the statement read: “Governor Dauda Lawal has now become the living embodiment of the phrase: ‘politics over lives.
“For years, he demonized former Governor Bello Matawalle’s approach to banditry, portraying it as weak, immoral, and counterproductive.
“Yet today, after more than 20,000 civilians and over 500 security personnel have been killed, Lawal is doing exactly what he once ridiculed — sitting with attackers and preaching dialogue.”
The forum said recent peace engagements held in Zamfara and Katsina, where notorious bandits like Ado Aleru were seen addressing public gatherings, have left victims of violence disillusioned.
“These meetings are not acts of peace — they are acts of surrender. They show a government that is overwhelmed and now embracing a method it once mocked,” it said.
NSIF said Lawal must offer Nigerians “a national apology,” not another press statement or roundtable.
“By misleading the public and endangering lives through arrogance and political grandstanding, he owes the people of Zamfara and Nigeria more than explanations — he owes them contrition,” the group stated.
The group described former governor Bello Matawalle as “a man ahead of his time” whose much-criticized peace strategy has now been quietly adopted by his successor.
“It is now obvious that Bello Matawalle deserves not just vindication but canonization.
“He pursued peace amid criticism, relied on facts over populism, and stayed the course when others opted for rhetoric,” the forum said.
NSIF accused the current administration of lacking a strategic security framework, saying its response has been driven by media optics and inconsistency.
“Under Lawal, banditry has worsened, abductions are rising, and rural communities are being wiped out, while the state holds press briefings instead of delivering results.
“Now that he is crawling back to the same carrot-and-stick model he once discredited, Nigerians must ask: who is fooling who?” the group said.
The forum said the governor’s peace approach confirms that military force alone cannot resolve the crisis — a point the previous administration recognized.
“This is not about glorifying criminals. It’s about understanding that absolute militarisation has failed. Working with community-linked actors, alongside law enforcement, can provide space for real solutions,” the group stated.
NSIF urged civil society, the security community, and media watchdogs to demand greater transparency from the Zamfara government.
“What we are witnessing is not innovation. It is imitation — badly executed,” the statement said.
The forum also disclosed plans to submit a dossier on Zamfara’s security failures to the National Security Adviser and the Senate Committee on Army for further scrutiny.
“It is no longer acceptable for politicians to weaponize insecurity during elections only to adopt the same condemned strategies once in office,” the group added.
