A human rights coalition, Northern Citizens Alliance for Justice (NCAJ), has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately declare a state of emergency in Zamfara, citing the total breakdown of governance, worsening insecurity, and the alleged complicity of the state government in criminal mining operations.
In a statement released in Kaduna on Friday, the group’s president, Mallam Kabiru Sani Bako, said no serious intervention can take place in the state unless power is taken out of the hands of political actors currently benefiting from the crisis.
“What we are witnessing in Zamfara State is not governance. What we are witnessing is organised abandonment of duty by those elected to serve,” Bako said.
“The state has no functional House of Assembly, no political will to stop the violence, and a growing body of allegations tying officials to illegal mining. This is no longer politics — this is betrayal of the people.”
The group described the security situation in Zamfara as “a slow-burning war that the country is ignoring at its own peril.”
Bako said residents in many parts of the state now pay levies to bandits to farm or travel, while state actors continue to play politics.
“In towns like Zurmi, Shinkafi, Anka and Bukkuyum, people are no longer safe to attend school, visit markets or sleep with both eyes closed. Women are being abducted, children recruited, and entire communities taxed by non-state actors. And what is the government doing? Trading blame and watching,” he said.
The group noted that the lack of a properly constituted state assembly further reinforces the collapse of democracy.
“As we speak, Zamfara has no legally recognised House of Assembly. 10 lawmakers were suspended for speaking out against the security situation in the state. This means the state is being run without the checks and balances that a democracy demands. It is a dictatorship of silence — and the victims are poor citizens who deserve better,” Bako added.
The group also accused the state government of shielding illegal miners, saying credible evidence suggests that proceeds from unregulated mining operations are funding arms purchases by criminal gangs.
“The same hands that should be protecting Zamfara are profiting from its destruction,” Bako said.
“The time has come for President Tinubu to step in — not with rhetoric, but with constitutional force. We are calling for the declaration of a state of emergency and the appointment of a non-partisan administrator to take over the reins and rebuild institutions.
“If this is not done now, we risk allowing Zamfara to become a permanent haven for terror cells. The country cannot afford to look away. Lives are being lost daily. And governance has already left the room.”
The Northern Citizens Alliance for Justice said it will send a detailed dossier to the National Assembly and the National Security Adviser in the coming days to support its demand.
