The Minister of Defence (State) and former Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, has rejected allegations of terrorism made against him by notorious bandit leader Bello Turji.
In a video released on social media, Turji accused Matawalle of failing to manage insecurity effectively during his tenure as governor. He claimed that Matawalle’s policies worsened banditry in Zamfara and other northwestern states.
“Any person living in Shinkafi, Zurmi, and Isa (Sokoto State) cannot deny this claim. There is a particular group of bandits whom the former governor pampered. I chased the group from Shinkafi, I killed their leader, Dudu, for peace to reign in Shinkafi. The group had 200 arms, but the governor later hosted them (Dudu’s boys) at the Government House,” Turji said.
He also accused the former governor of failing to disarm another group led by Bashari Maniya, which he claimed had over 300 guns.
Responding to these allegations, Matawalle, through his media consultants, dismissed Turji’s claims as baseless and aimed at discrediting him. In a statement signed by Dayemi Saka, Lead Partner at Lambert and Curtis, Matawalle’s team emphasized his efforts to combat banditry during his governorship.
“Our attention has been drawn to a video shared on social media in which baseless, malicious, unfounded, mischievous and deliberately concocted lies were told against the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, H.E Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle,” the statement read.
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Matawalle’s consultants highlighted his refusal to negotiate with bandits after the amnesty window closed, noting that he insisted on bandit leaders, including Turji, laying down their arms.
“His demonstration of strength of character by insisting he was not going to negotiate with bandits… is enough motivation for the hatchet man job Turji is doing,” the statement added.
The statement also clarified that all weapons seized from bandits were handed over to security agencies.
“The Government House does not have an armory, and it is on record that the cache of arms was handed over to relevant security agencies of government,” it stated.
Matawalle’s team dismissed Turji’s accusations as a tactic of a “deranged mind” engaging in a “victim mentality.”