By: Bashorun Oladapo Sofowora

For those who know Zamfara State before Governor Dauda Lawal became Governor will appreciate the current situation in the state. The state, which used to be in the rubble, has been reconstructed into a powerhouse within its geographical location and has become an envy of others. All thanks to the visionary rescue mission 1.0 spearheaded by Governor Dauda Lawal, PhD, in 2023, when he was elected Governor of the agrarian and mineral-rich state. Just three years ago, education in Zamfara State was in a Comatose state. It was nonexistent. No functional primary and secondary schools conducive to learning. The narrative was one of despair: schools as ghost towns, examination halls locked by creditors, and a generation of children seemingly abandoned by systemic neglect. But for Governor Dauda Lawal, a leader who views governance not as a relay race but as a rescue mission, the story has changed with just three years in charge of the affairs of the state.When he assumed office, the education sector wasn’t just ailing; clinically, it was on life support. Massive debts had piled up, teachers had vanished into thin air and the number of out-of-school children was skyrocketing on a daily basis. However, two years into the “Lawal era,” the sound of silence in Zamfara’s classrooms has been replaced by the sound of flipping of new textbooks and the scratching of pens on examination answer sheets.One of the cruellest legacies Governor Lawal inherited was the hostage crisis of student futures. Students could not write exams, classes were dilapidated and qualified teachers. Past administrations had failed to remit examination fees to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO). Consequently, thousands of bright Zamfaran students saw their results withheld not because they failed, but because the state failed them. Some had to travel to neighbouring towns like Sokoto, Katsina and Kano to enrol for exams risking their lives.In a dramatic move that sent shockwaves through the opposition, Governor Lawal reached into the state’s coffers and cleared the backlog of a staggering: ₦1.4 billion to WAEC covering debts from 2018 to 2022, and a combined payment of over ₦1.34 billion to NECO covering debts from 2014 to 2021. The immediate effect was the release of all previously withheld results, allowing students to finally apply for higher education. Furthermore, the state fully funded the 2024 WAEC examinations, ensuring that no child was barred from sitting for their finals due to a lack of funds.Governor Lawal after his swearing in, declared a State of Emergency on Education in November 2023, this meant that governance moved from the air-conditioned offices in Gusau to the muddy fields of rural schools across the state. He rolled his sleeves and got to work almost immediately fixing the rot he met. Available data from the Zamfara State Government reveals that the state has embarked on the construction and renovation of over 500 schools across all 14 Local Government Areas. This is not a cosmetic paint job, the administration is investing in modern, safe, and dignified learning environments:Classroom Revolution: Through the UBEC-ZSUBEB Matching Grant and AGILE projects, contracts worth over ₦5.9 billion have been awarded to build schools meeting global standards.Furniture Supply: The administration has distributed over 12,000 two-seater desks for students and over 1,000 chairs for teachers, ending the era where pupils sat on bare floors to learn.Recruitment of more teachers and supply of more textbooks: Infrastructure without manpower is a shell. When Governor Lawal looked at the teacher-to-pupil ratio in the state, he saw a crisis. In a decisive move to reverse the brain drain, he approved the massive recruitment of 2,000 qualified teachers.The recruitment is strategic, the first batch of 500 focuses on critical science subjects (English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics), preparing Zamfaran youth for the 21st-century economy. The government is also finalising a 120-day Rapid Intervention Action Plan to audit payrolls, map schools, and secure school environments from illegal encroachment. For the 2025 fiscal year, Governor Lawal presented a “Rescue Budget 2.0” of N545 billion. The largest single allocation, N79.6 billion, representing 14% of the entire budget, went to Education. For 2026, the proposed budget allocates an additional N65 billion to sustain this momentum. However, a journey to the Renaissance is not complete. It is at this critical inflexion point that the people of Zamfara face a defining choice. Before Governor Lawal, Zamfara was a state where students were barred from exams due to unpaid debts. Today, those chains are broken completely. But the enemy of progress is not just failure; it is interruption. The gains made in education are still fragile and need continuous consolidation. The newly recruited teachers need continuous training and the 500 renovated schools need constant security and maintenance. The unified Education Sector Bill, designed to create a seamless system from early childhood to tertiary level, is still awaiting full legislative maturity.To stop the “Rescue Mission 2.0” now would be to hand the baton back to those who drove the system into educational bankruptcy. The same political forces that allowed the debt to accumulate to over N2 billion are already regrouping eyeing 2027. They promise something different, but their records speak of withheld results and abandoned classrooms. Governor Dauda Lawal is not merely constructing classrooms; he is dismantling the architecture of ignorance that held Zamfara backwards for decades. He has proven that with political will, the “Education Governor” can turn around a sector that was declared dead. To secure this legacy, to ensure that children never again sit on bare floors and to guarantee that WAEC and NECO never again hold Zamfaran results hostage, the mission must continue for a secured future. The vote for continuity is a vote for the future. By re-electing Governor Dauda Lawal, Zamfara will not just be learning to read and write, but also to win in all ramifications and also put the state on a winning streak.

A youth group in the Ajiran community of Eti-Osa Local Government Area under the umbrella of the Ajiran Progressive Youth Forum APYF has accused a civil society organisation (CSO) of attempting to shield a murder suspect from justice, describing the CSO’s recent 24-hour ultimatum to the Inspector General of Police as “a joke taken too far.”

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Ajiran Progressives Youth Forum demanded that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, the AIG Zone 2, and the Inspector General of Police ignore what it called a baseless ultimatum. The group also vowed to resist any attempt capable of disrupting legal proceedings over the alleged gruesome murder of two youth leaders, Sherif Salami and Prince Kazeem Akinloye.

The forum expressed disappointment that a CSO allegedly linked to the prime suspect, Hameed Tajudeen Akanbi, would pressure the police to release him, thereby shielding him from the full wrath of the law.

“The so-called Civil Society Organisation at that theatrical press conference collapses entirely under the slightest weight of factual scrutiny. Far from exposing a “high-level conspiracy” within the Nigeria Police Force, the statement issued by Comrade Kolawole Emmanuel is nothing more than a desperate, last-ditch propaganda effort orchestrated by the associates of a fleeing fugitive to evade justice.”

“To be clear, Mr. Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi is not a “youth leader” nor a victim of royal intrigue; he is a prime suspect in multiple homicides, and his arrest represents a victory for the rule of law, not a violation of it. The core lie of the CSO’s narrative is the claim that this matter revolves around a land dispute. In truth, this is a case of serial murder and cult-related violence that has terrorized the Ajiran community in Eti-Osa for years.”

They further disclosed that; the Nigerian police did not resurrect a “resolved” case; rather, detectives under the command of AIG Jimoh Moshood Olorundare while he was the Commissioner of Police Lagos State finally secured the intelligence needed to apprehend a suspect who had fled the country to avoid prosecution for the death of Sheriff Salami and other victims. The claim that this case was ever “resolved” is a fabrication designed to create sympathy for a man who has been on the run from justice.

Furthermore, the attempt to drag businessman, Aare Bashir Fakorede, into this issue is a malicious act of diversion. “Aare Fakorede is a law-abiding citizen whose only “ambition” is the restoration of peace in his community. He has been the target of threats and violence from the very faction that Mr. Akanbi leads. The allegation that Fakorede offered four plots of land valued at ₦1.2 billion to a senior police officer is not only unsubstantiated by a shred of evidence, but it is also logically absurd. The truth is that Aare Fakorede, along with his legal counsel including Muiz Banire (SAN), has been the victim of Akanbi’s violent campaign. Mr. Banire is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria acting within his professional capacity to ensure that those who spill blood are held accountable. To call that a “conspiracy” is to insult the legal profession.”

The statement also defended AIG Jimoh Moshood Olorundare , describing him as one of the country’s most effective anti-crime strategists. “The most offensive lie in this entire affair is the suggestion that AIG Jimoh Moshood Olorundare is a corrupt officer working to “eliminate” Mr. Akanbi. The public must reject this dangerous slander. AIG Jimoh Moshood is widely regarded as one of the most effective anti-crime strategists in the country. When he was the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, he made the dismantling of cultist cells in Eti-Osa a personal priority. It was his intelligence network that identified Mr. Akanbi as a key enforcer in the violent land grabs that have plagued the 22 communities around Ajiran.”

The CSO claims that Akanbi was “declared wanted” while he was legitimately abroad for medical reasons, but police records show that Akanbi fled Nigeria immediately after a warrant was issued for his arrest in connection with the murder of Sheriff Salami. His trip to France, Dublin Ireland was not a medical retreat; it was a flight from justice. When he attempted to sneak back into Nigeria through the Benin Republic border, he was not “kidnapped” as the CSO hysterically claims. He was apprehended through standard INTERPOL protocols based on a valid warrant.

Since his return, the claim that he is being “poisoned” or held in a “private cell” is a transparent ploy to force a transfer to a less secure facility where his associates could potentially break him out or intimidate witnesses. The “degrading” treatment of handcuffs and leg chains is standard procedure for a suspect accused of multiple murders, designed to prevent escape and protect the suspect from vigilantes.

The Ajiran Progressives Youth Forum called on the Inspector General of Police to ignore the CSO’s “reckless 24-hour ultimatum,” adding: “That group does not speak for civil society; it speaks for a murder suspect.”

“The Inspector General of Police must therefore ignore the reckless 24-hour ultimatum issued by this faceless CSO. That group does not speak for civil society; it speaks for a murder suspect. The police are not working in cahoots with Aare Fakorede; they are working in line with available intelligence to bring victims of violent crime to book. The families of the dead in Ajiran, those whose cries for justice have been ignored while Akanbi lived comfortably in France, deserve to see this matter proceed to court. We stand firmly with Aare Bashir Fakorede, who has shown restraint and faith in the legal process despite being the target of repeated threats. We stand firmly with AIG Jimoh Moshood, who has risked his career to take a dangerous criminal off the streets. And we call on the public to see this press conference for what it is: the final, desperate gasp of a man who knows that for the first time in years, the long arm of the law is finally about to catch up with him. Let the law take its natural course, and let Mr. Akanbi face his accusers in an open court, where the only conspiracy that will be exposed is his own.”

By Bashorun Oladapo Sofowora

Earlier today, Governor Dauda Lawal received the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, at the Government House in Gusau during an official visit to Zamfara State.

The Chief of Defence Staff commended the Zamfara State Government for its consistent support to troops operating within the state, acknowledging the administration’s collaborative approach in addressing security challenges.

During the meeting, the Governor reiterated that security remains the foremost priority of his administration. He emphasized that without security, meaningful development and governance would have little impact on the lives of the people of Zamfara State.

The Governor stressed the importance of sustained cooperation between the state government and the military in confronting insecurity and restoring lasting peace across affected communities. He noted that effective synergy between civil authorities and security agencies is critical to overcoming the menace threatening the state.

He further assured that his government remains fully committed to providing continued support to the Armed Forces and other security agencies to enhance their operational effectiveness and safeguard lives and property.