‘We’re subservient to political authority’ — army reacts to Dauda Lawal’s criticism

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has responded to the criticism of the armed forces by Dauda Lawal, governor of Zamfara state.

On June 11, Lawal said he does not have control over the military, police or personnel of the civil defence to end banditry in Zamfara.

He said the security forces are usually “nowhere to be found” when needed to defend lives and properties from bandit attacks.

Reacting in a statement on Thursday, Edward Buba, director of defence media operations, said the army remains “subservient to political authority, particularly the political leadership of Zamfara state”.

He said the army would not take issues with the governor, adding that the allegation against the military “needs to be analysed impartially and understood”.

“The attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to weighty allegations against the Armed Forces of Nigeria by the Zamfara State Governor in a recent interview on Channels TV,” he said.

“The AFN hereby makes it unequivocally clear that it is a professional force that is subservient to political authority, particularly the political leadership of Zamfara state.

“The military will not take issues with the governor, rather we choose the path of cooperation over conflict with the state governor and look forward to constructively engaging with him on these matters.

“Troops of Operation Hadarin Daji deployed in Zamfara state have lost nine personnel so far in June 2024. These killed-in-action personnel are a painful testament to our tireless efforts, commitment and sacrifice to restoring peace and security in the state.

“Nevertheless, the allegations against the military and security forces operating in the state need to be analysed impartially and understood. The situation underscores the fact that winning the war without the support of the people of the state is close to impossible.

“Overall, the military will continue to work tirelessly to restore safety and security across our nation. Certainly, there is still a lot of fighting to do, to guarantee the safety of our homeland.”