Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle has denied allegations of aiding banditry made against him by his predecessor Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State.
Matawalle, who was the immediate past governor of the state, challenged the governors and those making the allegations against him to swear on the Quran to prove their innocence in the banditry crisis plaguing the state.
“I was the only governor to swear on the Holy Quran that I have no hand in banditry.
“I challenged all the politicians, including General Aliyu Gusau and Dauda Lawal, to do the same. None of them could take the oath, and if they don’t take the oath, that means they are part of it,” Matawalle, as a guest on Tuesday, told Channels Television.
Matawalle, said his engaging bandits in dialogue with bandits received the support of several governors which has led to the freeing of kidnapped persons and ammunition in Zamfara.
He said he was not the only to dialogue with bandits, adding that “the governor of Niger State engaged in dialogue with bandits, and the governor of Sokoto did the same. Why am I singled out? Because it is Zamfara.
“Zamfara is a very complex state with terrible human beings and devilish ideas.”
The minister said his accusers are guilty of the offence they are accuse him of, adding that “I have always acted in good faith, as have other governors who engaged in dialogue with bandits. including the Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello, and the Governor of Sokoto State.
Lawal had accused Matawalle of stealing over ₦70 billion from the state government.
But the minister has denied siphoning state funds, saying these were fabrications of the present governor of the state, Dauda Lawal.
“In my four years, I did not ever receive that money. The records are there; the indices are with the Ministry of Finance. It is on record, and let me tell you, I don’t understand; I pity Dauda (Zamfara Gov). I thought for now he should concentrate on giving good governance to the people of Zamfara State. I thought, for now, he should concentrate on the issue of insecurity.”
“I thought, for now, he should realise that governance is a continuous process because if he is in that seat today, tomorrow he will not be.”
“But how can someone come and be telling lies, a whole governor coming to deceive the public?”
Lawal told the minister to resign to clear his name, saying Mutawalle haboured terrorists at the government house, and ransom was paid to terrorists through the government.
