Tinubu Yet To Order Investigation Into Matawalle’s Alleged Sponsorship Of Bandits

It’s been over a week since the incumbent governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, alleged that his predecessor and current Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle was sponsoring bandits.

However, President Bola Tinubu is yet to order an investigation into this allegation, which is the latest of a series of similar allegations against the minister.

“From all the information we’re getting, my predecessor (Matawalle) was fully involved in some of this banditry issue,” Governor Lawal said in an interview with TVC.

This is not the first time Matawalle would be accused of funding banditry in Zamfara. Last year, a group known as ‘Concerned Citizens for Peace, Security and Development’ accused the former governor of sponsoring banditry.

The group called on security and anti-corruption agencies to investigate Matawalle, but months after this request, he was appointed minister of state for defence.

It will be recalled that the ruling All Progressive Congress alleged in 2020 that a sitting governor in the Northwest was sponsoring bandits. Although, the party did not mention a name, but Matawalle responded saying “I find it insulting that the APC is accusing me of sponsoring bandits in my own state.”

The sitting Governor of Zamfara openly made the same allegation last week, but there’s been no official statement from the presidency to address the allegation that a sitting minister of the federation is funding banditry activities which have claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions.

According to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) project, banditry in the Northwest has claimed at least 13,485 deaths between 2010 and May 2023. ACLED collates data mostly from media reports and local sources, so it does not include unreported cases.

I Swore With The Quran – Matawalle

In his ludicrous defence against the allegations against him, Matawalle said on Tuesday that he had already swore with the Islamic holy book that he had no hand in the funding of banditry.

Speaking with Channels TV, Matawalle said: “It was not only me that dialogued with bandits. Remember, all the governors dialogued; the then governors of Niger State, Habu Sani Bello, and the governors of Sokoto and Katsina states did the same. Why only me? Because it is Zamfara?

“Zamfara is a very complex state with terrible human beings with devilish ideas. Our people are just different.

“Let me remind you. When I was governor, I was the only governor who swore with the Holy Quran that I had no hand or connection with banditry and that I was not happy with what was happening. That if I was happy, if I was part of it, if I knew those doing it, or if I was collaborating with them, God should not give me one second of grace.

“I challenged all the politicians, including General Ali Gusau and Dauda Lawal, to do the same. None of them could take the oath, but I took it because I know I have a clean heart”

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Oluwatobi Odeyinka

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