Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has revealed that he refused to pay a ₦300 million ransom demanded by kidnappers who abducted his brothers in 2019, insisting that paying ransom only encourages kidnapping and strengthens criminal groups.

Speaking at the ARISE News/THISDAY Town Hall Conference on State Police and National Security in Abuja, the governor recounted that his brothers were held captive for about three months. He said he told the kidnappers he would not pay any money, maintaining that yielding to ransom demands would only fuel further abductions.

Lawal disclosed that his brothers were eventually released without any ransom being paid. He argued that governments and individuals should avoid negotiating with kidnappers because ransom payments provide financial incentives for criminal groups to continue targeting innocent people.

The governor reaffirmed his opposition to ransom payments and renewed his support for the establishment of state police, arguing that decentralised policing would strengthen intelligence gathering and improve responses to insecurity across the country.

His remarks come amid persistent concerns over kidnapping and banditry in northwestern Nigeria, where governments and security agencies continue to debate the most effective strategies for tackling violent crime and protecting communities