Paying Ransom Encourages Kidnapping, Says Zamfara Governor After Rejecting ₦300m Demand

Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has revealed that he turned down a ₦300 million ransom demand after his brothers were kidnapped in 2019, saying he believes paying kidnappers only fuels insecurity.

Speaking on Thursday at the ARISE News/THISDAY Town Hall Conference on State Police and National Security in Abuja, the governor said he has consistently opposed ransom payments and negotiations with criminal groups.

Lawal recounted that his brothers remained in captivity for approximately three months, but he refused to yield to the kidnappers’ demands.

“My own brothers were kidnapped in 2019, and the kidnappers demanded about ₦300 million. I told them I was not going to pay a dime. If they wanted to kill them, they could go ahead,” he said.

He disclosed that his brothers eventually regained their freedom without any ransom being paid.

The governor argued that paying ransom creates financial incentives for kidnappers, encouraging them to continue targeting innocent victims.

“If we continue to pay ransom, we are encouraging these criminals to kidnap more people. The cycle will only continue unless we stop rewarding criminality,” he said.

Reaffirming his position, Lawal declared that he would neither negotiate with criminals nor pay ransom under any circumstance.

“I will not negotiate, and I will not pay ransom to any criminal, no matter what happens,” he added.

Lawal also used the forum to advocate for the establishment of state police, saying the current security structure places responsibility on governors without giving them adequate operational authority.

“In as much as I am called the chief security officer of the state, I do not have the command-and-control authority to direct the operations of the security agencies,” he said.

According to the governor, he is ready to support the funding of state police, expressing optimism that a decentralised policing system would strengthen intelligence gathering, improve emergency response and enhance the fight against insecurity.

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