Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defense in Nigeria, is facing allegations of terrorism and procurement of vehicles for bandit leaders, including notorious kingpin Bello Turji. The current state governor, Dauda Lawal, has urged Matawalle to resign, stating that his predecessor was involved in some of the banditry. Lawal claims that the former governor kept terrorists at the government house and paid ransom through the government.
An allegation of misappropriation of N70bn was made in May 2023, but the information is before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The case has been ongoing for a year, and the government needs the money to address the challenges facing Zamfara.
In a video reported earlier today, Asada alleged that Matawalle procured vehicles for Turji and other bandits, claiming that Matawalle had bought about 34 vehicles and distributed them to terrorist leaders. He also questioned why Turji, despite being notorious criminal with a visible presence on social media, had not been captured.
Turji has terrorized Zamfara State by killing, kidnapping, and extorting residents for nearly nine years. His activities gained public attention after a series of videos surfaced on social media, where he also accused Matawalle of sponsoring banditry in the state.
Matawalle, the former governor of Zamfara State, initiated amnesty for terrorists between 2019 and 2023. However, Turji claimed that the scheme only empowered some of his colleagues. He claimed to have killed a bandit leader in his Shinkafi LGA for peace, but the governor later allegedly sabotaged his efforts. Turji claimed that he chased and killed the group, which had 200 arms, but the government failed to ask them to surrender their weapons. He seized 30 guns from another group led by Bashari Maniya, but they never surrendered their weapons. Turji alleged that some bandit leaders moved to Sokoto after giving their arms to their boys kidnapping for ransom. He named some of them as Bashari Maniya, Kabiru, and Buhari.
Dr. Suleiman Shuaib, an aide to the minister, has dismissed allegations that Governor Dauda Lawal is witch-hunting his predecessor, Matawalle, and smearing his image. Shuaib explains that Matawalle had never sponsored banditry or terrorism and was committed to securing the lives and property of the people of Zamfara State and Nigerians at large. He also explains that Matawalle only engaged in dialogue with bandits during his early days as governor, in a desperate move to restore peace and security to the state. Shuaib calls on Nigerians, including Governor Lawal, to desist from witch-hunting their predecessors and advises him to focus on the promises made during his campaign instead of chasing shadows. He believes that the main objective of Governor Lawal and Matawalle is to secure and protect the lives and property of the people of Zamfara and that the governor should focus on providing security in the state and not chasing shadows. He urges the governor to work hand-in-hand with Matawalle to bring an end to the insecurity in Zamfara.
Beacon Consulting Limited’s Kabir Adamu argues that the accusations against Matawalle are indicative of the weaponization of insecurity in Nigeria. He states that the Federal Government and the Zanfara State Government are pursuing different security policies. Adamu also points out that some officials at the federal level are negotiating with bandits and have even exchanged funding with them. The New Nigeria Peoples Party spokesperson, Ladipo Johnson, criticizes President Tinubu’s cabinet for including Matawalle in the Ministry of Defense. Johnson argues that there have been numerous questions about Matawalle, which have led to Tinubu asking the minister to clarify the allegations. However, Johnson is not expecting the minister to resign or discuss the allegations, as Tinubu did not speak on his certificate saga. Johnson believes that the allegations are indicting that the Governor of Zamfara State has accused Matawalle openly and that it is enough for the President to ask him to address the allegations. He believes that Matawalle should come out to address the allegations and set the record straight.
