The Human Rights Watchdog in Africa, HRWA, has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Zamfara State following reports that hundreds of inmates convicted for banditry-related offences were recently released from the Gusau Correctional Centre.
The group alleged that Governor Dauda Lawal authorised the release of 69 convicted bandits in September through what it described as a “secret state pardon,” reportedly processed through the Zamfara State Zakat and Endowment Board under a programme tagged “Religious Amnesty.”
In a statement on Friday, HRWA Executive Director, Samson Adamu, said the development had heightened fears among residents of the state, who are already battling persistent attacks, abductions, and communal violence.
According to the organisation, some of the released individuals included eight suspects remanded in January 2022 over serious offences such as criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, dealing in human parts and acts described by authorities at the time as extremely violent.
Adamu said the alleged releases, involving inmates convicted under the administrations of former governors Abdul’aziz Yari and Bello Matawalle, had deepened public concern about the state government’s handling of security matters.
He accused Governor Lawal of downplaying the severity of the insecurity in Zamfara and called for decisive federal intervention.
“These developments have left many communities in fear and confusion.
“If the state government cannot guarantee the safety of its citizens, then the President must exercise emergency powers to restore order,” Adamu said.
The group urged President Tinubu to suspend the governor, overhaul the state’s security architecture, and order an independent investigation into the alleged pardons.
HRWA said such measures were necessary to prevent a further escalation of insecurity in the state.
