Former Zamfara State Governor and current Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has refuted allegations by Governor Dauda Lawal that he was involved in aiding banditry in the state. In response, Matawalle challenged Lawal and other political figures to swear on the Quran to prove their innocence.
In an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday, Matawalle stated, “I am the only governor who has sworn on the Holy Quran that I have no involvement in banditry. I challenge all politicians, including General Ali Gusau and Dauda Lawal, to do the same. If they refuse, it means they are part of the problem.”
Governor Lawal had called for Matawalle to resign to clear his name, accusing the former governor of harboring terrorists at the government house and facilitating ransom payments. In response, Matawalle defended his decision to engage in dialogue with bandits, a strategy he said had been endorsed by other governors and had led to the recovery of abducted persons and weapons.
“They should provide evidence for these claims,” Matawalle insisted. “I wasn’t the only one who engaged in dialogue with bandits. The governors of Niger and Sokoto states also did so. Why am I being singled out? Perhaps because of Zamfara’s complexities.”
Matawalle described Zamfara as a state with “terrible human beings and devilish ideas,” further insinuating that those accusing him of banditry might be involved in the same activities.
The former governor also dismissed accusations from Lawal that he had stolen over ₦70 billion from state funds, calling the claims fabrications. He asserted that all financial records during his tenure were transparent and could be verified by the Ministry of Finance.
Matawalle urged Lawal to focus on addressing the insecurity in Zamfara rather than spreading falsehoods. “I pity Dauda. Instead of focusing on governance and solving insecurity, he is spreading lies to deceive the public,” he said.
Lawal, on the other hand, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to take action, claiming that despite providing evidence of misappropriated funds, the commission has done little to recover the alleged loot.
