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Thursday, November 14, 2024

Nigerian Defence Minister in Scandal Over Alleged Links to Terrorism

Bello Matawalle faces growing calls for resignation amid accusations of aiding notorious bandits.

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The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, is facing intense scrutiny following allegations of his involvement in supporting terrorism during his tenure as Zamfara State governor. Accusations have emerged that Matawalle provided vehicles to bandit leaders, including the infamous Bello Turji, a criminal figure responsible for years of violence and terror in Zamfara.

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Zamfara’s current governor, Dauda Lawal, urged Matawalle to step down during an interview on national television, citing the weight of the allegations. “If I were him, I would resign and face all the accusations against me,” Lawal stated, adding that his predecessor was allegedly complicit in banditry and even housed terrorists in the government residence while facilitating ransom payments through the state apparatus.

Lawal’s claims come amid an ongoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is also probing the misappropriation of N70 billion in state funds—a figure the governor described as “a child’s play” compared to the gravity of the alleged dealings with terrorists.

The accusations are not new. Matawalle had previously been accused of banditry sponsorship by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2022, after he defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). More recently, an Islamic cleric, Bello Asada, in a video circulating on social media, alleged that Matawalle purchased luxury vehicles for several terrorist leaders, including Turji, during his time as governor.

Asada’s allegations have cast a spotlight on the disturbing relationship between the state and bandits, questioning how Turji—a man notorious for killing, kidnapping, and extorting residents for nearly a decade—has managed to evade capture despite a visible presence on social media.

Despite the weight of these accusations, Matawalle’s camp remains defiant. His aide, Dr. Suleiman Shuaib, dismissed the claims as baseless and politically motivated, describing them as part of a broader campaign to smear the minister’s reputation. According to Shuaib, Matawalle had only engaged in dialogue with bandits as a strategy to restore peace during his early days as governor, but later waged war against those who failed to honour their commitments to the peace truce.

While the allegations continue to swirl, the silence from official channels is notable. A presidential aide declined to comment, hinting that answers may come with the announcement of the next cabinet reshuffle.

As calls for his resignation grow louder, Matawalle faces the daunting task of defending himself against mounting evidence that links him to some of Nigeria’s most dangerous criminal networks. Whether these accusations will lead to tangible consequences for the embattled minister remains to be seen, but the controversy has cast a shadow over his political future, and, more broadly, the country’s fight against banditry.

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