Writers' Group Condemns Zamfara's Alleged Secret Release of Hundreds of Convicted Terrorists, Calls It a National Security Breach

The North-Central Writers Advocacy Group (NCWAG) has issued a forceful condemnation of widely circulated media reports alleging the Zamfara State Government under Governor Dauda Lawal secretly released hundreds of convicted terrorists and bandits.

In a statement signed by Irimiya Dunat, said the civic accountability collective expressed profound shock and alarm, stating that the alleged action represents one of the most disturbing breaches of public trust and national security in recent history.

According to the reports, which cite national media and a human rights writers association, 291 convicted Boko Haram members and 219 convicted armed bandits were freed from state correctional facilities. NCWAG emphasized that these individuals were not merely awaiting trial but were found guilty of offenses including terrorism, mass violence, kidnapping, and community destruction.

The group warns that this alleged unilateral move comes as Nigeria battles unprecedented multi-layered security challenges, including the spread of banditry into new regions and the emergence of criminal cells in the South-East. They assert that such a decision, made without federal security clearance or public oversight, constitutes a dangerous precedent, a disregard for victims, and a direct threat to national stability.

NCWAG has therefore called for immediate federal intervention, demanding that the Presidency, the National Security Council, and related agencies urgently investigate and provide a public security briefing.

 They have also given Governor Dauda Lawal a seven-day ultimatum to provide a full public explanation on the legal framework, rationale, and national security protocols followed in the alleged releases. The group has placed the nation on high alert, stressing that Nigeria cannot afford a scenario where a single state executive can unilaterally free individuals responsible for mass atrocities.