A significant number of Nigerians are demanding that Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence, step down. This demand stems from an old video from 2021 currently circulating online.
The video, originally broadcast by Channels TV, shows Matawalle, who was serving as the Governor of Zamfara State at the time, defending certain troublemakers in the region.
While speaking to journalists at the State House in Abuja following a meeting with the then-President, Muhammadu Buhari, Matawalle addressed questions about the activities of bandits in Zamfara. He controversially stated that “not all of them are criminals.”
Matawalle elaborated, suggesting that if the situation were investigated, it would reveal that some individuals resorted to lawlessness because they were “cheated by so-called the vigilante group.” He claimed the vigilantes would attack the bandits’ settlements, destroying property and seizing animals. Lacking anyone to turn to, these individuals sometimes sought “revenge” or “reprisals” when attacked, which Matawalle indicated was the root cause of the conflict.
The video’s reappearance coincided with the resignation of the Defence Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru. On social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), several reactions compiled by DAILY POST highlight the public’s concern:
One user, @A6udawud, criticized Matawalle for favoring negotiation over confrontation with bandits and urged President Tinubu to remove him for turning the Defence Ministry into a “campaign hub.”
@tkayose questioned the government’s use of the term “bandits” instead of “terrorists,” linking it to Matawalle’s past comments, and asked why both Matawalle and Gumi (an advocate for dialogue) have not been apprehended.
@engr_shaibu_ fiercely criticized Matawalle for seeing bandits as “misunderstood victims” rather than criminals, labeling him an “empty head and terrorists sympathizer” who should be immediately sacked from his role overseeing security policy.
@RealQueenBee__ shifted the blame to the appointer, stating they were aware of Matawalle’s background yet still gave him the ministerial position.
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