Banditry: Northern Group Threatens to Petition ICC Against Zamfara Governor Lawal

The Northern Intelligentsia Network has threatened to petition the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague against Zamfara State governor, Dauda Lawal, over alleged complicity in the killings, abductions and destruction carried out by bandits in the state.

In a statement issued on Friday, the group’s president, Dr. Aminu Shehu, accused the governor of aiding atrocities through his actions and inactions, warning that his recent public comments reinforced suspicions of culpability.

“Governor Dauda Lawal has openly admitted that he knows where the bandits are operating from, yet he has refused to provide this intelligence to security agencies,” Shehu alleged. “Instead, he throws up excuses about not having control over the police. Such deliberate withholding of critical intelligence, at a time when communities are being ravaged, amounts to aiding and abetting. It is not merely negligence—it is complicity.”

The coalition argued that Lawal’s posture violates his constitutional oath to safeguard citizens and breaches international humanitarian law.

“Under the Rome Statute of the ICC, to which Nigeria is a signatory, the widespread and systematic targeting of civilians constitutes crimes against humanity. By withholding actionable intelligence and failing to mobilise effective countermeasures, Governor Lawal has crossed into culpable complicity in these crimes,” the statement read.

The group cited reports of atrocities in rural communities across Maradun, Anka, Shinkafi and Tsafe local government areas, including rape, mutilation of children and the torching of entire settlements.

“These are not isolated attacks but systematic assaults against vulnerable populations. Article 7 of the Rome Statute is clear: a leader who knowingly permits such sustained attacks shares responsibility for them,” Shehu stated.

According to the group, Lawal’s remarks amount to abdication of responsibility and embolden the perpetrators.

“It is unacceptable for a sitting governor to confess knowledge of bandits’ hideouts while refusing to act or share intelligence. This silence has deepened the suffering of ordinary Zamfara people,” it said.

The coalition further argued that the governor’s stance undermines the Geneva Conventions, which require state authorities to take feasible steps to protect civilians during conflict.

“Other states with similar challenges have adopted creative strategies to complement federal security efforts—from empowering local vigilance groups to building intelligence-sharing systems. In Zamfara, however, the governor has chosen denial and blame-shifting,” Shehu added.

The group disclosed that it is assembling a team of Nigerian and international lawyers to file a petition at the ICC, complete with testimonies from victims, reports from humanitarian organisations, and what it called evidence of the governor’s refusal to act.

“Under the doctrine of command responsibility recognised by the Rome Statute, political leaders who enable or fail to prevent atrocities must be held accountable. We will not relent until justice is secured for the victims of Zamfara,” Shehu said.

The Northern Intelligentsia Network also urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene decisively, warning that the violence in Zamfara threatens regional stability.

“Zamfara is becoming a killing field. If nothing is done, the violence will spill further into the North-West and beyond,” the statement cautioned.

It called on civil society, religious leaders and the international community to stand with victims of banditry.

“We cannot afford silence in the face of this slow genocide. International law is clear: leaders who tolerate or enable such acts must be held to account. Governor Lawal’s refusal to act has placed him squarely within that bracket,” the group declared.