The Yoruba Youth Council (YYC) has released a statement urging the federal government to implement a state of emergency in Zamfara State. In their press release, the organization expressed deep concern over what they characterized as a governance crisis threatening to plunge the state into “unmanageable chaos and confusion.”
According to the statement, Zamfara is experiencing parallel political and security crises. The YYC highlighted an ongoing conflict between two competing factions of the state’s House of Assembly, each operating separate legislative bodies and claiming legitimacy. One faction, led by Speaker Bashar Aliyu Gummi and comprising both PDP and APC members, has reportedly threatened to impeach Governor Dauda Lawal over allegations related to insecurity, economic hardship, and the dismissal of approximately 4,000 civil servants.
The youth organization emphasized the deteriorating security situation, noting that at least 41 people have been killed and over 185 abducted in the past five months. The statement described residents as “fear-gripped” and “helpless” against extortion from armed bandits who demand “hefty sums of money in exchange for their lives.”
The YYC concluded that federal intervention through emergency powers is necessary to prevent further deterioration and restore stability to the state. The press release was signed by Comrade Eric Oluwole, National Coordinator of the Yoruba Youth Council, which identifies itself as an umbrella organization representing Yoruba youth across Nigeria.