Nigeria – Matawalle Dismisses Allegations of Aiding Banditry, Says He Is Being Blackmailed

By Utebor Paul, Nigeria

The Minister of State for Defense, Bello Matawalle, has dismissed accusations of aiding banditry in Zamfara State, challenging his accusers to present proof.

In an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, Matawalle defended his record as governor and refuted claims linking him to banditry.

“They should bring any proof of that,” Matawalle declared, adding, “I dialogued with bandits just like other governors. The Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello, and the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, did the same. Why am I the only one being singled out because it’s Zamfara?”

The former Zamfara governor further stated that his accusers, including General Ali Gusau and the current Zamfara State governor, Dauda Lawal, are involved in the activities they are accusing him of. “I was the only governor who swore by the Holy Quran that I have no hand or connection with banditry. If I am part of it or know those involved, may God not give me one-second grace,” Matawalle said.

He challenged all politicians, particularly Gusau and Lawal, to take the same oath. “None of them could take the oath, and if they don’t, that means they are part of it,” he argued.

Matawalle emphasised that his efforts to confront criminal elements in Zamfara State have made him unpopular among politicians involved in these activities. “The people who oppose me do so because I go after them,” he remarked, affirming that many of those he targeted are politicians.

He also defended his policy of dialogue with bandits, saying it yielded significant success. “The dialogue brought the recovery of weapons and the release of thousands of abductees, including some foreign nationals,” Matawalle said, adding that similar strategies were employed during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari to secure the release of the Chibok girls.

“This is a global practice; governments across the world enter into agreements to save lives,” he explained.

Matawalle condemned attempts to blackmail him for his efforts to address insecurity, insisting that no ransom was paid during the negotiations. “People are spreading misconceptions out of hate, but I have no regrets because we achieved a lot without paying a single kobo in ransom,” he said.

The minister also addressed allegations from the current Zamfara governor, Dauda Lawal, accusing him of syphoning state funds. Matawalle described the accusations as fabrications. “In my four years as governor, I never received that money. The records are with the Ministry of Finance,” he said.

Matawalle advised Lawal to focus on providing good governance to the people of Zamfara rather than spreading falsehoods. “Governance is a continuous process. If he is in that seat today, tomorrow he will not be. A whole governor coming to deceive the public—this is unfortunate,” Matawalle concluded.