Zamfara Governor Accuses Defence Minister of Ties to Banditry, Reports Allegations to NSA

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has taken a bold step by reporting the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, and President Bola Tinubu. Governor Lawal accused Matawalle, the former governor of Zamfara State, of involvement with the banditry crisis plaguing the state.

Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Sulaiman Idris, on Tuesday, Governor Lawal claimed he had presented facts about Matawalle’s alleged connections to bandit groups operating in Zamfara. “The governor has met with the President and the NSA, explaining the situation and providing the facts that we have,” Idris stated.

This accusation follows Matawalle’s recent denial of any involvement with bandits. During an appearance on Channels Television, the former governor rejected the claims and challenged Governor Lawal and retired General Ali Gusau to swear by the Holy Quran that they have no links to banditry. Matawalle explained that his decision to engage in dialogue with the bandits was part of an effort to end the violence, adding that other governors in the region, including those of Niger, Sokoto, and Katsina states, had also attempted peace talks with bandits.

Matawalle declared, “I have never sponsored bandits,” describing the allegations as baseless. He asserted, “If Governor Lawal and General Gusau are confident of their innocence, they should swear by the Quran, as I have done, to prove they are not involved in banditry.”

However, Governor Lawal’s camp remains firm in their accusations. Sulaiman Idris, speaking on behalf of the governor, described Matawalle’s statements as lies and insisted that evidence of his involvement would soon be made public.

Idris said, “He (Matawalle) is lying. We mentioned names. He should come out and clear his name.” Hinting at further revelations, Idris emphasized, “These two people were given Hilux vehicles, money, and foodstuffs to distribute to the bandits. This is not just an allegation—we have facts, and the NSA is fully aware of them.”

According to Idris, Governor Lawal, who is currently out of the country, has already taken an oath by the Quran to affirm his innocence. “There is a video of the governor during an event, swearing by the Quran that he has no involvement in banditry. He also prayed that God should punish anyone responsible for the violence in the state,” Idris added.

Governor Lawal’s administration has vowed to release all available evidence to the media, following Matawalle’s public challenge. “He wants a media trial, and we are ready for it. We have all the evidence, and we will bring it out,” Idris stated, expressing confidence in their position.

Attempts to reach key security officials for further comments have so far been unsuccessful. Calls to the Office of the National Security Adviser’s spokesperson, Zakari Mijinyawa, went unanswered. Similarly, efforts to contact Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, yielded no response.

The police, represented by Force spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi, clarified that they were not the lead agency in the fight against banditry in Zamfara, implying that the military and other security agencies play a more prominent role in addressing the issue.