Northern group faults Zamfara govt over worsening insecurity

A northern advocacy group, the Northern Front for Peace and Accountability (NFPA), has criticised the Zamfara State government over what it described as worsening insecurity across the state.

In a statement issued in Kaduna on Tuesday, the group accused the administration of Governor Dauda Lawal of failing to effectively address recurring attacks on highways and rural communities.

The organisation cited recent security incidents, including a reported explosion along the Yar’Tasha–Dansadau road in Maru Local Government Area, which it said targeted travellers and heightened fear among residents and commuters.

While official casualty figures were yet to be confirmed, the group claimed several persons were feared dead.

Speaking on behalf of the group, its president, Musa Abdullahi Kaura, said armed groups were operating with increasing confidence, leaving residents vulnerable to killings, abductions and displacement.

Kaura said insecurity in the state had persisted despite repeated assurances by authorities, adding that many farming communities had been forced to abandon their farmlands due to safety concerns.

He warned that continued violence could further erode public confidence in state institutions and allow armed groups to entrench themselves in rural areas.

Kaura called for an emergency security meeting involving traditional rulers, community leaders, security agencies and federal government representatives to develop a coordinated response to the situation.

He also urged the federal government to pay closer attention to developments in Zamfara, warning that failure to act decisively could allow armed groups to establish long-term strongholds in the state.