The Northern Front for Peace and Accountability has criticised Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, over what it described as the deteriorating security situation in the state.
In a statement issued in Kaduna on Tuesday, Musa Abdullahi Kaura, president of the group, said recent attacks, including a suspected bomb explosion along the Yar’Tasha–Dansadau road in Maru local government area, exposed what he called a collapse of governance and security coordination.
Kaura said the latest incident, which left several travellers feared dead, was part of a broader pattern of unchecked violence across highways and rural communities in Zamfara.
He said residents were increasingly vulnerable as armed groups now operate with “disturbing confidence and frequency”.
“The people of Zamfara are under siege. Daily, innocent citizens are killed, abducted, or forced to flee their homes, yet the state government appears overwhelmed and largely absent,” Kaura said.
He said leadership requires presence and decisive action, especially during crises, adding that these qualities were lacking.
The group also raised concerns over reports that Lawal had been out of the state for several weeks, describing the absence as ill-timed and indefensible.
Kaura said the governor’s absence had deepened public anxiety and reinforced perceptions of a leadership vacuum.
He said previous administrations had shown that insecurity, though complex, could be confronted with political will, local engagement and coordinated strategies.
Kaura urged Lawal to study the approach adopted by former governor and now senator, Abdul’aziz Yari, whom he said aggressively confronted armed groups through security operations, community intelligence and engagement with federal authorities.
“During the Yari years, there was a clear strategy. The governor was visible, security meetings were constant, and there was a sense that the government was actively confronting the problem,” Kaura said.
The group warned that continued inaction could embolden terrorists and erode public confidence in the state government.
It called for an immediate security summit involving traditional rulers, community leaders, security agencies and federal authorities.
The group also urged the federal government to closely monitor developments in Zamfara, warning that the state risks becoming a permanent stronghold for armed groups without urgent intervention.
“As citizens bury their dead and abandon their farms and roads, the question remains simple: where is the government of Zamfara state?” Kaura asked.
Residents across the state, the group said, remain fearful that without visible leadership and a clear security strategy, the violence may worsen.