The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a statement claiming that repeated public denials by bandit leaders regarding any association with the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, expose a political conspiracy against the former governor. The party, through its state Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Idris Gusau, alleged that the Zamfara State Government, under Governor Dauda Lawal, is continuously running campaigns to link Matawalle to banditry and insecurity in the North, with the goal of pressuring President Bola Ahmed Tinubu into removing him from his ministerial position.
The APC specifically cited video recordings where bandit leader Bello Turji denied ever being sponsored by or working for Matawalle, both during his time as governor and as minister. The party further accused the current state government of misusing public funds to mobilize various individuals and groups, including political operatives, religious figures, and protesters across the country, to propagate these narratives, claiming one such agent admitted to receiving payment from the state government.
The statement also raised serious concerns about the release of Musa Kamarawa, a suspected bandit arrested during Matawalle’s governorship on gun-running and banditry charges, whose case is allegedly still pending. The APC called for investigations by security agencies, the National Judicial Council (NJC), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and civil society organizations into Kamarawa’s release.
The APC dismissed the allegations against Matawalle as unfounded and politically motivated, pointing out that appointments to sensitive national offices require security clearance. It linked the ongoing claims to internal political tensions within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara ahead of the 2027 governorship election. The party defended Matawalle’s previous tenure, referencing peace initiatives that reportedly led to the surrender of arms, the reopening of markets, and improved security in parts of the state, urging the public to disregard the allegations.
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