Banditry: Northern Group Threatens to Take Zamfara Governor to ICC

• The Northern Intelligentsia Network has threatened to file a petition at the ICC against Zamfara state Governor Dauda Lawal after accusing him of complicity in banditry-related killings
• The group alleged that Lawal has failed to share intelligence on bandits’ hideouts with security agencies, breaching his constitutional obligations to protect civilians
• The northern advocacy group said a legal team is being assembled to submit victim testimonies and evidence against the governor

Abuja, FCT - A northern Nigerian advocacy group has threatened to petition the International Criminal Court (ICC) over Zamfara state Governor Dauda Lawal’s alleged complicity in widespread killings, abductions and arson carried out by bandits.

In a statement released on Friday, September 26, and signed by its president, Dr Aminu Shehu, the Northern Intelligentsia Network accused Governor Lawal of aiding and abetting attacks on civilians through his actions and inaction.

“Governor Dauda Lawal has openly admitted that he knows where the bandits are operating from, yet he has refused to provide this intelligence to security agencies,” Shehu said.

“Such deliberate withholding of critical intelligence, at a time when communities are being ravaged, amounts to aiding and abetting. It is not merely negligence, it is complicity.”

Banditry in Zamfara: Group cites Rome statute violations

The group said the governor’s posture breaches his constitutional oath to protect lives and violates international humanitarian law.

“Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, to which Nigeria is a state party, the widespread and systematic targeting of civilians constitutes crimes against humanity,” the statement said.

“By withholding actionable intelligence and failing to mobilise effective countermeasures, Governor Lawal has crossed the threshold into culpable complicity in these crimes.”

Citing accounts from rural communities in Maradun, Anka, Shinkafi and Tsafe local government areas, the group alleged women have been assaulted, children mutilated, and settlements torched.

“These atrocities are not isolated events. They are systematic and targeted against vulnerable civilian populations,” Shehu said.

Zamfara: Dauda Lawal accused of leadership failure

The network argued that Governor Lawal’s comments show “a troubling abdication of responsibility”.

“It is unacceptable for a sitting governor to confess knowledge of bandits’ hideouts while refusing to act or share intelligence. This silence and inaction have emboldened the perpetrators and deepened the suffering of ordinary Zamfara people,” the statement said.

According to the group, Governor Lawal’s stance undermines the Geneva Conventions, which oblige state authorities to protect civilians in conflict situations.

The group noted that other states facing similar security challenges have empowered local vigilance groups and enhanced intelligence sharing.

Zamfara: Group begins move to petition ICC

The network said it is assembling a team of Nigerian and international lawyers to file a petition at the ICC. The filing will include victim testimonies, humanitarian reports and evidence of the governor’s “wilful refusal” to act.

The group urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene, warning that the crisis poses a threat to regional stability. It also appealed to civil society, religious leaders and the international community to support victims.

Zamfara worshippers gunned down inside mosque

Meanwhile, no fewer than five worshippers have been killed by bandits in a fresh attack on a mosque during the early morning prayer at the Yandoto village in the Tsafe local government area of Zamfara state.

The attack reportedly happened in the early hours of Friday, September 26. Eyewitnesses narrated that the gunmen opened fire on the worshippers indiscriminately as they stormed the mosque. Five people were reportedly killed immediately, and several people sustained gunshot wounds.

One of the residents who spoke to journalists but did not want to be named for security concerns disclosed that an unspecified number of worshippers were also abducted before escaping through the nearby forest.

Source: Legit.ng