Zamfara Gov insists: Matawalle a bandits sponsor, reports to NSA

Joseph Irikefe

The Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, on Tuesday, said that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and President Bola Tinubu were aware of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle’s alleged involvement with the banditry in the state.

The governor added that he had reported the minister to the NSA and the President and presented some facts to them.

This is coming after Matawalle, a former Zamfara governor, denied having ties with bandits in the state.

Speaking on Channels Television, Matawalle had challenged Governor Dauda and General Ali Gusau (rtd.) to swear by the Holy Quran that they have no involvement in banditry ravaging the state and the entire North-West.

Mattawalle argued that it was baseless to accuse him of sponsoring bandits because he chose to have a dialogue with bandits as part of efforts to stop killings.

He noted that other governors, including those of Niger, Sokoto, and Katsina states, had also had to engage in similar talks with bandits.

Matawalle, while maintaining that he was not a bandits’ sponsor, challenged his successor, Lawal and General Gusau to swear by the Qu’ran that they were not sponsoring bandits.