- Minister challenges accusers to produce evidence
- ’They are after me because I dialogued with bandits’
The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, has said he once swore with the Holy Qur’an not have any connection or hands in banditry.
The minister dismissed allegations of aiding banditry, challenging his accusers to provide the evidence of his complicity in the act.
Matawalle spoke yesterday on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, “Sunrise Daily”.
The minister justified his decision to dialogue with bandits, saying many governors had toed this line of action.
He argued that such engagements with bandits had led to the rescue of abducted persons and recovery of ammunition in Zamfara State.
“Let me remind you that I was the only governor that swore with the Holy Qur’an that I have no hand or connection with banditry. I am not happy with what is happening. I said if I am happy or if I am part of it or if I know those doing it or if I am collaborating with them, God should not give me one-second grace.”
The former governor explained why he negotiated with bandits, saying: “I have always acted in good faith, as have other governors who engaged in dialogue with bandits…
“I was not the only one that dialogued with the bandits. The governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello, the then governor of Sokoto, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and the governor of Katsina State dialogued with them. So, why only me?
“Yet, I seem to be singled out, perhaps because Zamfara is a complex state with terrible human beings with devilish ideas.”
The minister argued that his fearlessness in tackling criminals in Zamfara State had made him unpopular among those engaged in criminal activities.
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“The people who oppose me do so because I go after them,” he said.
When asked if the people he was referring to were politicians, he said: “Yes, they are politicians, and I go after them.
The minister named two prominent indigenes of Zamfara as complicit in promoting banditry.
He challenged them to publicly swear with the Holy Qur’an, like he had done, if they were truly not complicit.
“The dialogue (with bandits) brought significant success,” Matawalle added.
The minister cited the recovery of weapons and the release of thousands of abducted individuals, including some foreign nationals, following dialogues with bandits.
Drawing comparisons with the path of negotiations with bandits taken by former President Muhammadu Buhari in the efforts to secure the release of the Chibok girls, Matawalle said: “This is a global practice; governments across the world enter into agreements to save lives…
“People are spreading misconceptions out of hate, but I have no regrets because we achieved a lot of success without paying a single kobo in ransom.”