By Musa Ubandawaki, Sokoto
Communities in Zamfara State are grappling with grief and anger following fresh bandit attacks, as a civil society group accused Governor Dauda Lawal of abandoning the state at a critical time to attend an end-of-year event in Kigali, Rwanda.
The Zamfara State Development Group expressed its concerns on Saturday while distributing food items and toiletries to families displaced by violence at IDP camps in Gusau, Tsafe, and Talata Mafara. Many of the displaced, including women and children, fled their homes after armed bandits overran villages, killing residents and forcing survivors into makeshift shelters.
Speaking during the outreach, the group’s state coordinator, Aboubakar Maipillow Dangulbi, said the governor’s absence had intensified public frustration, particularly as attacks reportedly escalated in more than 34 rural communities across the state.
He alleged that despite claims that the state government spends about ₦4 billion monthly on security, residents continue to face relentless assaults, kidnappings, and killings, with little visible improvement on the ground. Dangulbi further criticized the government’s support for security operatives, describing it as “eye service” rather than a sustained effort to protect lives.
“Our people are burying their dead, while survivors crowd IDP camps with nothing but the clothes they escaped with,” he said. “Yet those entrusted with leadership appear detached from the daily pain of ordinary Zamfara families.”
The group highlighted a recent attack along the Magami–Dansadau road in Maru Local Government Area, where traders were reportedly killed in large numbers, describing the incident as a grim reminder of the growing dangers facing civilians and the wider implications for commerce and food supply beyond Zamfara.
According to the organisation, intelligence warnings had preceded some attacks, but authorities failed to act decisively, worsening public mistrust and fear in affected communities. The group also raised alarm over reports that bandits are deploying improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in parts of the state, warning that such tactics signal a dangerous escalation that could pose a national security threat if left unchecked.
“It is painful and irresponsible for any leader to leave a state plagued by killings and bomb explosions to attend social events abroad,” Dangulbi added, echoing the sentiments of many displaced residents who feel abandoned.
The group called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order immediate, targeted security operations in Zamfara and ensure closer coordination between federal and state authorities to stem the violence. It warned that until governance and security receive full attention, the crisis in Zamfara will continue to undermine national stability, deepen humanitarian suffering, and erode public confidence in leadership.
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