Banditry: Zamfara Govt, Minister of State Defence Camps Bicker

Onuminya Innocent

The camps of Zamfara State Government and Minister of State for Defense Mohammed Bello Matawalle are in war of words accusing each other for the lingering banditry activities in the state.

In a statement released yesterday by  the government flayed Matawalle and his former Commissioner for Information Ibrahim Dosara for not telling the truth.

The statement  noted that  the government  read with utmost surprise, the write-up by the immediate former Zamfara state’s Commissioner for  Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara, who tried to defend his master, the Minister State for Defence, Honourable Bello Mohammed Matawalle against series of condemnations both within and outside the state regarding the video clip released by a bandits kingpin Bello Turji.

The statement added that in the video clip, Turji explained to the whole world that, the former Governor of Zamfara state and now the Defence Minister is responsible for security challenges affecting Zamfara state in particular and the North-west zone in general.

 The state said Turji also extensively explained in the video clip that, the former governor was romancing with the bandits during his tenure.

According to the statement,  in the write-up, Dosara tried as much as he could to disassociate his master from the audio clip, but unfortunately he only succeeded in exposing the minister’s incapacity to be in the seat of a Defence Minister.

“Instead of Mr Dosara to tell us the achievements so far recorded by the Honourable Minister in the fight against banditry in his home state and the North-west zone, he only ended up in shifting the blame on Governor Dauda Lawal who over the last one year of his administration has been fighting the insurgents with all sincerity of purpose and is making a headway to achieve greater success, despite series of sabotage from the Minister of Defence and his allies.”

“The video clip by the bandits kingpin is just the tip of the iceberg as more of this revelation will be on the way, because a lot of atrocities were committed by the past administration of former Governor Bello Mattawalle and are still being committed by him despite his position as a Defence Minister.

“In fact, I did not want to comment on this write-up as it lacks substance but because of the writer’s sinister motive of shifting the blame on Governor Dauda Lawal regarding the security situation in the state, I find it extremely necessary to say something.”

The statement added that  in the write-up, Mr. Dosara shameless advised Governor Dauda Lawal Dare to, instead of spending huge amount of money in the efforts to tarnish Matawalle’s hard earned reputation, should re- direct such money to saving the lives and property of the people of Zamfara State.”

“The statement by Dosara is an indication that, he is either not in the state at the moment or is working for his paymaster to earn his pay, going by the number of achievements recorded by Governor Dauda Lawal in terms of security in just one year of his tenure.”

“The people of the state are living witnesses to the fact that, the efforts of Governor Dauda Lawal in tackling insecurity challenges within the last one year is far better than what former Governor Matawalle did during his four- year tenure”.

The statement maintained that, Governor Lawal has taken the security issue with highest regard and is very serious in ending banditry in the state unlike his predecessor Bello Mattawalle who everybody knows was romancing with the bandits during his tenure.

“Immediately Governor Lawal took over the mantle of leadership, he came out categorically and informed the bandits that, they should either surrender or face his wrath. He also kicked against the issue of reconciliation which did not work before his arrival as an executive Governor. So if not for mischief making, how can Dosara or anybody could think that Bello Turji is currently in Government House Gusau? It will, however, not be surprising if Turji and his colleagues used to visit the government house during Bello Mattawalle’s tenure.

“Dosara goofed by saying that, the number one responsibility of a government anywhere is the protection of lives and property of its people.

“He also said that, despite the huge amount Dauda Lawal receives from Federation Account monthly, he has failed to sustain what Matawalle left in terms of security or even attempt to fulfill his campaign promises in that regard.

The statement  explained that for Dosara to say “It is unfortunate that the whole of Zamfara is under siege by bandits and no local government headquarters has not been attacked is unfortunate.

“The above statements by Ibrahim Dosara indicated that, he either does not know the responsibility of both the state and the federal government in terms of security, or he is trying to expose the incompetence of” his paymaster the Honourable Minister of Defence.

“Let me remind Dosara if he has forgotten that, although the state Governor is the Chief security officer of his state, he does not control the security personnel who are hundred percent under the Federal government.

“On his part as the Chief security officer of his state, Governor Lawal has done a lot to salvage the state going by a lot of resources he has been committing in the fight against banditry. His wisdom of creating a security outfit called Security Protection Guards (CPG) is an indication that he is very serious in fighting insurgents in the state.

“But it is sad to note that, the Minister of Defence Honourable Bello Mattawalle a son of the soil, who is appointed by President Bola Tinubu to end banditry in his home state and other parts of the country has abysmally  failed to carry over his primary responsibility.

  However,  a swift reaction, a group under the aegis of Grand Alliance of Coalition of Northern Youths Movement, has said that their attention has been drawn to a viral video on social media where one of the notorious bandits’ kingpins known as Bello Turji was making an allegation against some notable political leaders in the North-West including the former Governor of Zamfara State and the current Minister of State Defense Bello Matawalle and current Governor of Sokoto State, Ahmed Aliyu.

The group under the leadership of Alhaji Abubakar Yusuf while addressing journalists in Sokoto said it is not in the group’s character to respond to such baseless and poorly-scripted nothing wood movie being acted by element like Bello Turji and his co-crime merchants within and outside Zamfara State but to set the record straight on the person of criminal Turji and the political rationale behind the viral video.

“It is on record that Bello Turji is fond of making baseless accusations against perceived political enemies of his sponsors who are teleguiding him to poison the minds of northerners against the possible re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu come 2027”.

“Let us clearly states here that, majority of those calling on President Tinubu to replace state Minister of Defence Bello Matawalle over the comedy video clip allegedly shared by agents of Zamfara state government are unpatriotic Nigerians who are ready to go to any length to sow a seed of discord among Nigerians and against a southern president just like they did to Jonathan in 2014.”

“So, those targeting Minister Bello Matawalle are more interested in destroying Tinubu’s legacy on the fight against insecurity in the North-West so they can use it against him and his political party which should not be allowed.”

” How could a bandit like Bello Turji be given prominence to talk about insecurity when he is making life difficult and unbearable to his own people?”

“The truth is that, the ongoing military operations in the North-west is wrecking Turji’s enclaves and his promoters unhappy which is why the military needs to intensify their onslaught against these criminal elements in their enclaves in Shinkafi, Sabon Birni, Isa, Zurmi, Jibia and many other areas surrounding Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger States.”

His allegations have not been only against Matawalle. He has accused a former governor of Zamfara State, Ahmed Sani Yerima that he was sponsoring bandits. He also accused the late Emir of Zurmi, Atiku Abubakar of the same allegations.”

“Can we now say the security agencies especially the Department of State Security Service have not done their work which could have led to disqualification of Matawalle while he was being screened by the National Assembly better than Turji and his hidden sponsors?”

“For those that watched the clip, Turji is just playing a script, using politics to destroy good names of many innocent people after his terror reigns in Shinkafi and environs.”