Marafa’s Zamfara security pledge faces questions over state powers
A commentary by Isha Ibrahim Maihula questions former senator Kabir Garba Marafa’s promise to end insecurity in Zamfara within two years if elected governor in 2027. It argues that governors do not command the military or police, and says the state’s regional security crisis requires federal coordination and sustained operations.
Kabir Garba Marafa’s pledge to end insecurity in Zamfara State within two years if elected governor in 2027 has prompted questions about the powers available to a state governor, according to an analysis by Isha Ibrahim Maihula. Marafa, a former senator and governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, reportedly said he would leave office voluntarily if he failed to achieve the target. The analysis acknowledges the appeal of the promise in a state affected by banditry, kidnapping, attacks on communities and restricted access to farmland.
Maihula argues, however, that insecurity is sustained by criminal networks, difficult terrain, porous borders, intelligence gaps, limited policing capacity and socioeconomic vulnerabilities. In the analysis, the writer says these factors make a fixed political deadline difficult to reconcile with the nature of the crisis. The commentary says governors are responsible for helping protect lives and property but do not exercise operational control over the Nigerian Army, Air Force or Nigeria Police Force.
Those institutions operate within a federal command structure under the authority of the President as Commander-in-Chief. It says a governor can provide resources, intelligence and logistical support within the law and can cooperate with federal security agencies, but cannot independently order military operations or determine police deployment. Any pledge to eradicate banditry, the analysis argues, should therefore be assessed against those constitutional limits.
Maihula also says the criminal networks operate across state boundaries, requiring a regional response. The analysis contrasts Marafa’s promise with Governor Dauda Lawal’s reported cooperation with North-West governors and federal authorities on intelligence sharing and coordinated operations. It adds that effective action would require logistics, communications equipment, intelligence gathering and engagement with traditional and community leaders.
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