The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, has strongly denied accusations from Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, alleging his involvement in sponsoring banditry in the region.
In a swift response, Matawalle’s office dismissed the claims as baseless, noting that Governor Lawal has repeatedly leveled such accusations, all of which have been consistently refuted by the Minister. The office referred to a statement issued by Matawalle’s media consultants, particularly following similar allegations made by a notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji. Matawalle’s camp described these claims as attempts to distract and discredit the Minister.
The statement, signed by Dayemi Saka, Lead Partner at Lambert and Curtis, highlighted the unfounded nature of the allegations. It read: “Our attention has been drawn to a video circulating on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook in which baseless, malicious, and deliberately concocted lies were made against the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle.”
The statement condemned the continued attacks on Matawalle’s character and integrity, asserting that such actions are not only disheartening but also dangerous to national security. It further dismissed Turji’s allegations as the ramblings of a terrorist engaging in “victim mentality.”
While addressing the bandit leader’s claims, the statement emphasized Matawalle’s previous efforts to tackle banditry during his tenure as governor of Zamfara from 2019 to 2023. According to the statement, Matawalle had taken a firm stance against negotiating with bandits, closing the amnesty window, and demanding that bandits like Turji lay down their arms. This stance, the statement argued, likely motivated Turji’s recent accusations.
“All arms seized from bandits during Matawalle’s tenure were submitted at the Government House in Gusau and handed over to relevant security agencies. The Government House does not have an armory, and there is a clear record of all arms turned in,” the statement added.
Bello Turji, a notorious bandit leader, had earlier accused Matawalle of fostering banditry, claiming that the former governor had supported certain armed groups during his administration. In a video, Turji claimed that Matawalle had pampered a group of bandits after he, Turji, had driven them out of Shinkafi and killed their leader, Dudu, to restore peace. Turji alleged that despite this, the former governor failed to ask the group to surrender their weapons, which contributed to the continued proliferation of arms in the region.
However, Matawalle’s office has dismissed these allegations as part of a campaign to tarnish his reputation, emphasizing that all actions taken by Matawalle during his tenure were in the best interest of Zamfara’s security.
