A civil society coalition, Concerned Citizens of Nigeria (CCN), has called for international sanctions against Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, accusing him of gross negligence in addressing the state’s worsening insecurity and urging that his travel privileges be revoked.
In a petition signed by its Executive Secretary, Emmanuel Agabi, the CCN urged the United States and the United Kingdom to impose a travel ban on Governor Lawal.
The group also appealed to the European Union and the Commonwealth to adopt similar restrictions, emphasizing that global democracies must not “harbour leaders linked to terrorism, whether by silence or association.”
The CCN further called for Lawal’s assets within these jurisdictions to be frozen and for him to be declared persona non grata.
The organization on Wednesday, argued that Lawal’s continued tenure, despite publicly acknowledging knowledge of bandit hideouts, raises serious questions about his commitment to protecting lives and property.
According to the group, Lawal’s own statements about knowing the whereabouts of bandits should be treated as a confession of failure, stating that such conduct renders him “unfit to lead in any democratic society.”
“If Governor Lawal truly lacks the power to confront terrorists despite knowing their locations, then integrity demands that he step aside. A leader who presides over insecurity with admitted incompetence has lost all moral standing,” the petition stated.
“This is not opposition propaganda; it is the governor’s own declaration against himself,” it added.
According to the organization, imposing sanctions would not infringe upon Nigeria’s sovereignty but would instead reflect the sovereign rights of other nations to determine who is welcome within their borders.
It warned that the failure of the international community to act would send a dangerous message, that Nigerian lives do not matter on the global stage.
