BREAKING: Zamfara Governor Escalates Tensions, Reports Defence Minister to NSA Over Banditry
- Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara state has intensified accusations against Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle
- Minister Bello Matawalle denied the accusations, defending his previous decision to engage in dialogue with bandits as a strategy to reduce violence
- Governor Lawal’s spokesperson responded to Matawalle’s denials, accusing the minister of lying and pledging to release evidence
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Zamfara state governor Dauda Lawal has intensified accusations against Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, over alleged ties to banditry in the state.
The governor revealed on Tuesday, September 25, that he had reported Matawalle’s alleged involvement to National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu and President Bola Tinubu.
Source: Twitter
Banditry: Governor Lawal alleges minister's involvement
Governor Lawal claimed he had presented concrete evidence to both the NSA and President Tinubu concerning Matawalle’s alleged role in aiding banditry, which has plagued Zamfara and other parts of Nigeria’s northwest.
In a statement, Lawal’s chief press secretary, Sulaiman Idris, emphasized that the governor had shared the relevant facts during his meeting with the country’s leadership, The Punch reported.
The statement reads:
"When the governor met with the President, he explained all these things to him as well. He has also explained to the NSA that this is the situation and these are the facts that we have."
Matawalle denies banditry allegations
Former Governor Bello Matawalle, who now serves as Minister of State for Defence, has vehemently denied any involvement in the ongoing banditry crisis.
Matawalle defended his past decision to engage in dialogue with bandits as a measure to reduce violence in the state, Leadership reported.
Matawalle said:
“I have no ties with bandits. It is baseless to accuse me because I chose dialogue as an option to stop the killings.
"Other governors in the region, including those of Niger, Sokoto, and Katsina states, have also engaged in such talks."
Governor's camp responds, vows to release evidence
Governor Lawal’s team swiftly responded to Matawalle's claims, calling them lies.
Chief Press Secretary Idris disclosed that the governor had already sworn by the Quran, declaring his innocence and asking for divine punishment upon anyone connected to the criminal activities in Zamfara.
The governor camp alleges:
“He [Matawalle] is lying. We mentioned names. He should come out and clear his name... We have facts, and the NSA is aware of that. If he wants a media trial, we will do that because we know we have all the evidence."
Insecurity Crisis: APC demands state of emergency in Zamfara
In another development, Legit.ng reported that the Zamfara state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the state to bolster the fight against banditry.
The APC, through a statement signed by its spokesperson Yusuf Idris, alleged that Governor Dauda Lawal has been undermining the Federal Government's efforts to combat banditry.
Proofread by Kola Muhammed, journalist and copyeditor at Legit.ng
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Source: Legit.ng
