By Segun Adeyemi
Copyright pulse
A Nigerian civil society organisation, the Concerned Citizens of Nigeria (CCN), has petitioned the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom to impose sanctions and a travel ban on Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, over what it described as his failure to tackle insecurity in the state.
In a petition dated Tuesday, September 16, 2025, signed by CCN’s Executive Secretary, Dr Emmanuel Agabi, the group accused Lawal of negligence despite his claims of having detailed intelligence on the activities of terrorists and bandits in Zamfara.
“If he has an iota of shame in him and he is truly powerless as he claims, then honour should have compelled him to resign,” Dr Agabi wrote.
“Of what relevance is a leader whose performance is defined by absolute incompetence?”
The group urged Washington and London to declare the governor persona non grata, freeze assets allegedly linked to him, and extend restrictions through collaboration with the European Union and the Commonwealth.
According to the CCN, such actions would not amount to interference in Nigeria’s sovereignty but rather an exercise of America’s sovereign right to determine who is admissible within its borders.
“Silence in this matter would be complicity. It would suggest that America, the land of liberty, can overlook confessions of collusion with murderers,” the petition stated.
The CSO further accused Lawal of publicly admitting knowledge of terrorist hideouts and leaders without taking action.
“His confession is a crime against humanity,” Dr Agabi declared, stressing that the widows and orphans of Zamfara deserved justice.
The group concluded by urging foreign governments to act swiftly, arguing that sanctioning Lawal would serve as a global warning to leaders who treat terrorism as a political bargaining tool.
