Suleiman Shuaib, an aide to the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has strongly refuted recent allegations linking his principal to terrorism and banditry in Nigeria.
Speaking with Saturday Punch, Shuaib characterized the claims as baseless and part of a politically motivated witch-hunt orchestrated by Governor Dauda Lawal.
Shuaib asserted that Matawalle has never engaged in or supported banditry or terrorism, whether during his tenure as governor of Zamfara State or as a minister.
The aide explained that Matawalle’s early efforts as governor involved engaging in dialogue with bandits to restore peace and security to the state.
However, when certain factions failed to uphold their agreements, Matawalle took decisive action against them.
The backdrop to these allegations involves ongoing tensions within Zamfara’s political landscape, particularly following the recent comments made by Governor Lawal regarding Matawalle’s alleged connections to banditry. Lawal has called for Matawalle’s resignation, further fueling speculation and controversy.
He said, “I want to call on Nigerians, including Governor Dauda Lawal, to desist from witch-hunting their predecessors. This is a mere allegation and an act of witch-hunting. This sends a very bad message to the younger generation. It is uncalled for; I am advising Governor Lawal to stop witch-hunting his predecessor.
“The main objective of Governor Lawal and Matawalle is to secure and protect the lives and property of the people of Zamfara. The Governor should focus on the promises he made during his campaign instead of chasing shadows. His duty is to provide security in the state, and the major challenge we have is banditry.
“Zamfara State is on the brink of being swallowed by insecurity, and I want the governor to focus on that. He should work hand-in-hand with Matawalle to bring an end to the insecurity in Zamfara.
“When Matawalle became the governor of the state, the most important issue to address was insecurity. People advised him to call the bandit leaders for dialogue, and he accepted. That was when he met the bandits in Government House; he didn’t know them before.
“The dialogue worked for nine months before some bad actors influenced certain bandits to make outrageous demands, which Matawalle, as the governor, couldn’t meet. Those bandits took up arms again, and the Governor confronted them. He was, and is, never involved in banditry.”
