September 29, (THEWILL) – The last is yet to be heard in the ongoing public fight between Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State and the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle over an allegation of banditry sponsorship in the North-West geo-political zone, especially in Zamfara State.
Governor Lawal is said to have travelled out of the country, just after he fired the first salvo against Matawalle. It is believed that his return may open another chapter in the matter.
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Lawal, Sulaiman Idris, who informed journalists about the governor’s absence from the country, said the Zamfara State Government would publish details of his boss’s position in the media due course.
Idris accused the Matawalle of lying against his boss, vowing that all the evidence against the minister would be released to the media.
He said, “He (Matawalle) is lying. We mentioned names. He should come out and clear his name. He needs to explain his relationship with them, (terrorists)
“These two people, they were the ones that he gave Hilux and money and foodstuffs to share with bandits. So, this is not an allegation, we have facts and the NSA is aware of that.
“When the governor met with the President, he explained these things to him. He has also told the NSA that this is the situation and these are the facts that we have. Since he’s asking for facts, I assure you that we are going to bring the facts out. He wants a media trial; he’s calling for it. So, we’ll do that because we know we have all the evidence.”
Reluctant to address the issue initially, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) on Thursday disclosed that it commenced investigation into allegations of bandit sponsorship in some regions of the country.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, stated that the military and other relevant security agencies had started investigating the matter and a proper announcement would be made.
He said, “When you talk about what’s going on about the sponsors, I can assure you that the relevant agencies that are saddled with that responsibility are doing a good job. And sooner than later, you will hear some announcements in that regard.”
He noted that the focus is on winning the war against terrorists and other criminals in the country. “Winning a war is destroying the enemy’s will to fight. When you destroy the enemy’s will to fight, the war is over and you have won the war. We are focused on destroying the enemy’s will to fight, “
Meanwhile, the North-West Northern Elders Professional Development Group has waded into the matter and called on the warring parties in the ongoing public confrontation to allow the Federal Government Anti- insurgency Committee to solve the deadly banditry ravaging the seven states in the North-West geo-political zone, namely, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano and Jigawa.
Addressing journalists in Sokoto, the Secretary-General of the group, Dr Adamu Lawal Giwa, described Governor Lawal’s accusations against Matawalle as “unsubstantiated and divisive.”
The group emphasised that Matawalle had consistently denied any involvement with bandits in Zamfara, highlighting his efforts to engage in dialogue as a means of curbing their violent activities.
Giwa said, “Governor Lawal’s accusations, as conveyed by his Chief Press Secretary, Sulaiman Idris, rely on unverified claims and unnamed sources. Idris alleged that Matawalle, during his tenure as governor, provided vehicles, money, and foodstuffs to bandits, yet no concrete evidence has been presented.”
The group further pointed out that Matawalle’s approach to addressing banditry through dialogue was not unique, as other governors in Niger, Sokoto, and Katsina states had also employed similar strategies to deal with the crisis.
It accused the Zamfara State Government of wasting resources on “propaganda and media trials” against the Defence Minister instead of actively supporting the military’s efforts, such as the Fansa Yamma operations, to combat insecurity in the region.
The group urged all the involved parties to stop politicising the issue of insecurity, stressing that political elites, clerics, and others using inflammatory language were contributing to unwarranted fear among the population and undermining President Tinubu’s efforts to eradicate banditry in the North.
“A state grappling with insecurity, poverty and unemployment challenges cannot afford the kind of propaganda and mischief aimed at maligning individuals due to political differences.”
Adding his voice to the call for a cease-fire between the combatants for the purpose of achieving the mission of ridding the North-West of banditry, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, Dr Musa Iliyasu Kwankwaso, has urged Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State to work with his predecessor and Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, in his efforts to defeat banditry and other forms of insecurity in the North.
Kwankwaso, in a statement released to the media in Kano on Wednesday, also asked Governor Lawal to join hands with President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government in their efforts to end insecurity in the North.
He said Lawal should do such “rather than reporting the Minister to the National Security Adviser (NSA), accusing him (Matawalle) of complicity in kidnapping and banditry in the state.”
Kwankwaso described the accusation as “a complete waste of time and an attempt to divert people’s attention from the successes recorded in the fight against insecurity in the North”.
According to him, Matawalle passed security screening before his appointment as Minister of Defence and as such, his integrity is not in question.
“I know that any Nigerian appointed to the strong position of a minister could not have gotten that privilege if his characters and records are questionable,” the APC chieftain said.
He said the North needs urgent solutions to its teething problems, including insecurity, and not the politicisation of its challenges.
Kwankwaso, therefore, urged all citizens of the region, irrespective of their positions, to rally round the Federal Government to enable it to address the numerous challenges facing the region.
Having publicly admitted to swearing on the Holy Quran to prove their innocence, Matawalle and Lawalr are yet to indicate how this public spat will end.
Recall that Governor Lawal had accused the junior minister of aiding banditry in the state and urged him to resign from office to clear his name. According to Governor Lawal, the former governor kept terrorists at Government House and ransom was paid to terrorists through the government.
In his reaction, Matawalle dismissed the allegation of aiding banditry and challenged politicians in the state, including Lawal, to swear on the Quran to prove their innocence in the banditry crisis plaguing the state.
“I was the only governor to swear on the Holy Quran that I have no hand in banditry.
“I challenged all the politicians, including General Ali Gusau and Dauda Lawal, to do the same. None of them could take the oath, and if they don’t take the oath, that means they are part of it,” Matawalle said, adding: “Because I engage in dialogue, it was not only me. Remember that all state governors engage in dialogue. The Governor of Niger State engaged in dialogue with bandits. The Governor of Sokoto did the same thing.”
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
