On December 23, 2023, the Minister of State for Defence, Muhammad Bello Matawalle, featured on the BBC Hausa Service’s weekly magazine programme ‘Gane mini hanya,’ where he claimed that Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, was shunning security agencies when they reached out to him to him over the banditry in the state. He said, like other security chiefs, he made several overtures to his Mr Lawal to discuss the security situation in the state, but the governor kept avoiding him.
— BACkGROUND —
Mr Matawalle, then Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, was declared governor of Zamfara state in 2019 by the Supreme Court after it sacked the Zamfara governor-elect, his deputy, three senators, members of the House of Representatives and State House of Assembly — all elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) — over faulty APC primary elections that produced them. Midway into his tenure, Mr Matawalle cross-carpeted to APC, and subsequently lost re-election in March 18, 2023 governorship elections. He broke record as the only incumbent governor to be defeated out of the 11 that sought reelection in the last general elections.
— CLAIM —
During the BBC Hausa interview, Mr Matawalle said, among many other things, the measures the federal government was taking to end the banditry ravaging the Northwest, North-central and some parts of the Northeast. He claimed that his predecessor, Dauda Lawal, has constituted himself as a stumbling block in the ongoing efforts by federal security agencies to route out the bandits and end the menace.
— VERIFICATION —
To verify this claim, this newspaper’s fact-check team deployed various strategies to find out if any of the branches of the security agencies can corroborate Mr Matawalle’s claim, but to no avail. Attempt to seek further clarification from the defence minister (state) on his allegation was not fruitful as calls to his known mobile phone lines were not answered. He did not respond to enquiries sent as text messages.
However, our reporters dug into the archives to establish the veracity or otherwise of the claim that Governor Dauda Lawal has been shunning federal security officials in their attempt to cooperate with in ending the age-long banditry in Zamfara state. Our reporters’ findings from thorough analysis of news stories published and broadcast in major national dailies and television and radio networks since May 29 when Mr Lawal was sworn in, were mind boggling.
For instance, our fact-check team found out that days after he took oath of office, Governor Lawal, on June 14 visited General Lucky Irabor, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja. After the meeting, Mr Lawal, wrote on his official X handle, that he visited the CDS to discuss matters on security. He said, “Earlier, I had a closed-door meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Leo Irabor at the Defence HQ in Abuja.
“It is the resolve of my government to recognise the responsibility of the federal government for internal security, which includes close collaboration and cooperation with the military.”
Even before he met the then CDS Irabor in Abuja, our investigations revealed that Governor Lawal was preoccupied with security issues less than 24 hours after he was sworn in as Zamfara governor. For instance, on June 1, 2023, Governor Lawal received security briefing from the Security Chiefs in the state, where possible ways to address the continuous aggression by the bandits in some remote areas, were discussed elaborately. At the meeting, Mr Lawal assured the police commissioner, DSS director, civil defense commander, military commanders in the state, that his government “will support and ensure our security deals decisively with criminals disturbing the peace of our state.”
Same day, June 1, the governor received the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 10, Bello Sani Dalijan, and Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Bunu in his office, where they “had a productive discussion concerning the security of our state among other key issues.”
Days later on June 12, Governor Lawal met with the GOC 8 Division, General GM Mutkut, to discuss key issues concerning the insecurity in the state.
On June 21, the governor received Group Captain Sekegor in his office, where they had “a fruitful discussion on how we can support improving military surveillance/operations in Zamfara state.”
Governor Lawal, it was revealed, was among the early callers to the Defence Headquarters Abuja when President Bola Tinubu appointed new service chiefs. Barely two weeks after the change of guard, on July 12, Governor Lawal visited the new Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, where he briefed the new defense chief on the security challenges ravaging the state.
To further deepen the synergy between the state and the security chiefs, on July 24, 2023, Governor Lawal again met with security czars that included the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, CDS Christopher Musa, and the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Torfeed Lagbaja. Like before, the aim of the meeting, according to the governor, was “to find innovative solutions to the longstanding security challenges faced by the state, using both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches.”
On August 14, 2023, the governor also received the Chief Of Army Staff, Lt General Taoreed Lagbaja, and high-ranking officers of the Nigerian army from the 8th division who are on an operational visit at the Zamfara State Government House. The governor “canvassed more military presence and intervention to tackle insecurity in our State. We discussed ways to improve synergy and foster ways to combat all criminal elements disturbing our peace and hindering our development. “
Further findings by our reporters have shown that the Zamfara governor didn’t neglect other security branches and paramilitary agencies in his effort to restore lasting peace in the state. On August 18, Mr Lawal held separate meetings with the Inspector General of Police Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun and the Commandant General of the
Nigeria Security, and Civil Defence Corps Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, in Abuja. During the meetings, the governor sought for closer collaboration and synergy in the fight against banditry and general maintenance of law and order in the state.
On August 17, 2023, Governor Lawal in company of his Niger State counterpart, Mohammed Umar Bago, again visited NSA Ribadu in his office in Abuja, as parts of “their effort to improve synergy between the two states and the office of the National Security Adviser.”
As parts of efforts to deepen the state government relationship with security agencies, on October 12, 2023, the governor received the Commander of the Nigerian Army Education Corps (NAEC), Major General Bello Alhaji Tsoho, in his office. Mr Lawal “assured the Corps Commander of my dedication to assisting the Gusau and Talata Mafara Army schools.”
“To affirm my commitment to improving education, I will visit the Command Science Secondary School in Gusau and the Army Secondary School in Talata Mafara to assess the condition of these schools. By identifying areas of improvement, he hopes to create a better learning environment for our children and ensure they receive a quality education,” Governor Lawal said.
Aside all these, Governor Lawal had developed many strategies in tackling banditry in the state. These measures include the creation, recruitment and training of Community Protection Guard at the State, Local Government, and Wards levels; Zamfara Security Trust Fund, mobilization of Army, Airforce and Police personnel to conduct 24/7 patrol of volatile highways across the state, the shutdown of cattle markets which became business hubs for rustled livestock, among others.
—VERDICT—
Investigations by our fact-checking desk have shown that Mr Matawalle’s claim that Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has been shunning and not collaborating with security chiefs in their efforts to end banditry in the state is FALSE.
