On Thursday, the Minister of State and Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, denied the allegations of sponsoring banditry levelled against him by the Zamfara State Governor.
News About Nigeria earlier reported that, Lawal accused his predecessor of having a hand in the banditry ravaging the state.
Speaking to newsmen in reaction to the governor’s allegations, Bello Matawalle’s office said the governor has repeatedly towed the same line of action of accusing the Minister of sponsoring banditry which the minister has consistently denied.
Matawalle’s office referred journalists to a statement by his media consultants, where they had denied such claim of his involvement in banditry or terrorist activities.
The statement which was signed by Dayemi Saka, Lead Partner at Lambert and Curtis had countered claims of the former Governor partnering with wanted bandit, Bello Turji and allegations of his successor against him.
The statement partly reads, “Our attention has been drawn to a video shared on the X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook page in which baseless, malicious, unfounded, mischievous and deliberate concocted lies were told against the Honourable Minister of State for Defense, H.E Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle. We are not unmindful of the sustained attacks on the person, integrity, and patriotic sense of duty of our client. What we find disheartening and despicable is the brazen disregard for public safety and national security.
“While the video speaks to its discredibility, it is pertinent to address the outlandish allegations made by Bello Turji, a wanted kingpin of banditry. It is noteworthy that the efforts of the honourable minister of state, while as Governor of Zamfara State between 2019 and 2023, saw banditry and all other sundry of criminality tackled head-on. His demonstration of the strength of Character by insisting he was not going to negotiate with Bandits after the closure of the amnesty window for them to lay down their arms, and strong insistence of Bello Turji doing such is enough motivation for the hatchet man job is he doing. Anyone with basic knowledge of psychoanalysis of a terrorist and deranged mind like Turji will know that he is engaging in ‘victim mentality.”
