By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has made shocking allegations, claiming that Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal and General Aliyu Gusau are complicit in the activities of bandits in the state.
Matawalle’s remarks came in response to accusations made by Governor Lawal, who alleged that Matawalle had sheltered bandits in the Government House and paid them during his tenure as Governor of Zamfara State.
Speaking on Channels Television’s *Sunrise Daily*, Matawalle challenged Governor Lawal and General Gusau to swear on the Quran if his accusations against them were false. “It was not only I who dialogued with bandits. All the Governors did,” Matawalle asserted, referencing similar actions by former governors of Niger and Sokoto States.
“Why single me out? Is it because it is Zamfara?” Matawalle asked, further describing Zamfara as a “complex state with terrible individuals and devilish ideas.”
In a dramatic statement, Matawalle emphasized, “I am the only governor who swore on the Holy Quran, declaring that I had no involvement in banditry. If I were part of it, or if I knew those involved, I prayed that God would not grant me even one second of grace.”
He then challenged Governor Lawal and General Gusau to take a similar oath. “None of them could take the oath, and if they don’t, it means they are part of it,” Matawalle declared.
A Kano-based online news platform, Parrot Nigeria, had earlier reported on September 25, 2024, that Governor Lawal and General Gusau were aware of banditry activities in Zamfara.
