Gummi residents slam Gov Lawal over security lapse after boat tragedy

The outrage follows a deadly boat accident in Nasarawar Kifi on 29 August, which killed at least 14 people. Victims included seven women and four children. Three more remain missing.

Locals say the passengers were fleeing from bandits when the boat capsized.

Community leaders called the tragedy a direct result of the governor’s “broken promises” and lack of action on insecurity across Zamfara.

“Before the 2023 elections, Dauda Lawal came to Gummi and assured us that insecurity would end,” said Lukman Ibrahim Gummi, a community leader.

“That promise gave us hope, and many voted for him because of it. Since becoming governor, he has abandoned us.”

Residents accuse the governor of ignoring their plight, saying he has not visited Gummi since taking office. They also claim that bereaved families have received no sympathy or support from the state government.

“This neglect is not just in Gummi. It extends to Bukkuyum, Anka, Maru, Zurmi and Shinkafi,” said Ibrahim.

“While our women and children drown fleeing bandits, the governor rushes to political events in Kauran Namoda. Politics comes first, while our lives mean nothing.”

The residents described the government’s silence after the boat tragedy as “inhumane and irresponsible.”

“This is not the first time we are burying our loved ones due to insecurity. But it is the first time we are faced with a government that chooses silence as its official response,” said another community member.

Locals insist that leadership is about empathy and responsibility—not “empty campaign promises.

“We are calling for urgent intervention from security agencies and the federal government, warning that entire communities are at risk of collapse.

“The people of Gummi and other areas will no longer accept being treated as expendable.

“We demand security, action, and government presence. Our people deserve dignity and peace, not fear and abandonment,”Ibrahim said.