Provide evidence – Matawalle challenges critics over banditry allegations

Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has dismissed accusations of aiding banditry, calling on his accusers to provide proof.

In an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Matawalle defended his decision to engage in dialogue with bandits during his tenure as Governor of Zamfara State, a strategy he said was also adopted by other governors.

“They should bring any proof of that,” Matawalle said, emphasizing that his efforts, alongside those of other governors like Niger’s Abubakar Sani Bello and Sokoto’s Aminu Tambuwal, resulted in the recovery of abducted individuals and ammunition without paying ransoms.

Matawalle argued that Zamfara, a state with complex challenges, made him a target for false accusations.

He challenged his political opponents, including General Ali Gusau and current Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, to take an oath affirming their innocence in banditry-related activities, as he had done.

He accused Lawal and others of engaging in a campaign of lies and blackmail, fabricating allegations of misappropriated state funds, including claims of ₦70 billion missing under his administration.

Matawalle further criticized the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for not acting on these allegations, adding that his critics, motivated by political rivalry, were misleading the public.

He defended his dialogue approach with bandits, drawing comparisons to similar negotiations conducted by former President Muhammadu Buhari to secure the release of the Chibok schoolgirls.

In addressing the broader issue of insecurity, Matawalle reaffirmed that he had no regrets about his approach, stating that it saved lives without costing the government a kobo in ransom payments.

He called on his successor, Governor Lawal, to focus on governance and addressing the ongoing insecurity in the state instead of making baseless accusations.