“I Will Not Pay a Dime” – Zamfara Governor Reveals Bandits Demanded ₦600m to Free His Two Brothers

Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has revealed that bandits demanded ₦600 million to secure the release of his two biological brothers after kidnapping them in 2025, insisting that he refused to pay the ransom.

The governor made the disclosure during an interview with Nigerian Tribune on Saturday, October 10, 2026, while explaining his longstanding opposition to negotiating with bandits.

Lawal maintained that paying ransom encourages kidnapping and provides criminal groups with the financial resources to acquire sophisticated weapons and carry out further attacks.

He said his position against negotiating with bandits had remained unchanged since he assumed office, arguing that ransom payments had turned kidnapping into a profitable criminal enterprise.

According to the governor, the kidnappers demanded ₦300 million for each of his brothers, bringing the total ransom demand to ₦600 million.

Lawal said the incident was particularly painful because the victims were members of his immediate family. However, he insisted that he would not provide money to criminals, even when the lives of his relatives were at risk.

He explained that the kidnappers had gone to his brothers’ homes and taken them away before demanding payment for their release.

The governor questioned why families should be expected to pay criminals who abduct their relatives and then use the proceeds to sustain their activities.

Lawal argued that every ransom payment strengthens criminal networks by giving them more resources to purchase weapons, recruit members and launch additional attacks against communities.

Governor Rejects Negotiations With Bandits

The Zamfara governor also questioned the effectiveness of negotiations with bandits under previous administrations, arguing that the approach had failed to deliver lasting peace.

He said bandit groups were not organised under a single leadership, making it difficult to reach agreements that all factions would respect.

According to Lawal, negotiating with one group could encourage another to carry out attacks to demonstrate its strength and demand similar recognition.

He argued that the absence of a central authority among the groups makes it difficult to enforce agreements or hold individuals accountable when they are violated.

The governor maintained that ransom payments would continue to encourage criminal activity unless the financial incentives behind kidnapping were addressed.

Zamfara remains among the states in north-western Nigeria affected by banditry, kidnappings and attacks on rural communities.

Lawal’s comments have renewed debate over whether governments should negotiate with armed groups to secure the release of abducted persons or focus on security operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks.

While some families have resorted to ransom payments to save relatives, security officials and public authorities have repeatedly raised concerns about the potential consequences of financing criminal groups.

The governor’s account highlights the difficult choices confronting families of kidnapping victims and the wider challenge of addressing insecurity in the region.

However, his disclosure about the ransom demand and his refusal to pay it does not, on its own, establish the circumstances surrounding his brothers’ eventual fate or release.

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