For many months running, two of the political leaders of Zamfara State have been at each others throats. Former Zamfara state governor and now Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle and the current governor of the state, Governor Dauda Lawal, appear to be playing the game of politics while the state bleeds in the cycle of violence that has been ailing it for several years running. And from City People findings, the entire animosity between these two illustrious sons of Zamfara is predicated on ego and nothing more, yet, the consequences of their ego tripping has been very profound on the state.
Governor Dauda Lawal Dare and his predecessor in office, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, have accused each other of sponsoring the banditry going on in their state. Their disagreement started in the run up to the governorship election in 2022 in which Matawalle, who was the state governor between May 2019 and May 2023, sought re-election on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against Dauda, who vied for the seat on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The latter’s victory left a bile in the hearts of the ruling party’s chieftains at both the state and the national levels, creating a mutual animosity. Matawalle’s appointment as minister did not go down well with the state government.
Less than two weeks prior to Matawalle’s leaving office as governor, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced that it was investigating him over alleged diversion of N70 billion from the state government’s treasury while the new governor, upon taking office, declared that he inherited an empty treasury. The state government has been following up on the EFCC charge, which had gone cold after the ministerial appointment. The anti-graft agency announced only last week that it would revisit the allegations of funds embezzlement against the former governor.
Both the former and the incumbent governor have been trading brickbats for months, but they have both upped their ante in the last few weeks when they accused each other of sponsorship of the banditry in the state. It was Governor Dauda who first accused the minister of sponsoring the terrorism and a series of corruption. Matawalle has, in turn, denied the allegations and accused the governor of the one sponsoring the banditry.
It is easy to surmise that the two leaders have directly or indirectly recruited supporters from amongst political actors, the clergy, the media and civil society organisations to help launder their image while throwing mud against each other. It is near impossible for anyone to pick on a culprit in the roulette game of blame between the governor and the minister.
Matawalle’s critics had raised the issue of his alleged relationship with bandits when under his watch as the state governor, a notorious leader of bandits in the state, Ado Aleru, was turbaned as Sarkin Fulani (Chief of Fulanis) of Yandoto Emirate under Tsafe Local Government Area (LGA) of the state by the Emir of Yandoto Daji Emirate, Aliyu Garba Marafa, on July 16, 2022.
The occasion came barely two years after the Katsina State Police Command had declared the terrorist leader wanted and placed a N5 million bounty on him.
Aleru was the leader of one of the ruthless groups terrorising local communities of Zamfara and Katsina States.
Following a public outcry, coupled with the allegation that the state government was shielding such high-profile terrorist from the law, Matawalle suspended the monarch.
The state government was expected to have liaised with its Katsina State counterpart and the security agencies to use the emir to track and arrest the bandit leader to account for his crimes.
But surprisingly, the state government, in a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Kabiru Balarabe Sardauna, announced the reinstatement of the emir in April 2023, based on the recommendations of the committee constituted to investigate the issue.
“Based on the findings of the committee, the traditional title was conferred on the repentant bandit as part of peace building efforts between the repentant bandit and banditry-affected communities in Tsafe and Gusau Local Government Areas, which include Yandoto town. The reinstatement takes immediate effect,” the statement added.
Watchers of the security situation in the state, who wondered how an emir could initiate peace efforts with terrorists without the involvement of the state and federal governments, as well as the highest levels of the security agencies, were not satisfied with the state government’s handling of the issue.
In a recent video, the most dreaded bandit leader in the North-West, Bello Turji, had accused the minister of being responsible for the escalation of banditry in the North-West when he was governor.
“Any person living in Shinkafi, Zurmi, and Isa (Sokoto State) cannot deny this claim. There is a particular group of bandits whom the former governor pampered. I chased the group from Shinkafi; I killed their leader, Dudu, for peace to reign in Shinkafi. The group had 200 arms, but the governor later hosted them (Dudu’s boys) at the Government House,” he explained.
Speaking during an interview with a television station, the governor demanded that Matawalle resign his position as minister.
Governor Lawal said, “If I were him, I would resign and face all the allegations against me. And that would have been more honourable because from all the information we’re getting, my predecessor was fully involved in some of these banditry issues.”
But the former Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle has not only continued to dismiss these allegations of aiding banditry levelled against him by Governor Dauda Lawal, he has again accused the governor of the same crime Lawal is accusing him of. He insists Governor Dauda Lawal is the one aiding and abetting banditry in the state and not him. He also alleges its not only Dauda but some other politicians as well who work with him. .And he has challenged these politicians including Lawal 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”, he says.. “I challenged all the politicians, including General Ali 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 told Channels Television in an interview last week Tuesday.
Lawal had urged the minister to resign in order to clear his name. According to Lawal, the former governor kept terrorists at the government house, and ransom was paid to terrorists through the government.
Matawalle, however, defended his decision to engage in dialogue with bandits, a practice he says was supported by several governors and has led to the recovery of abducted persons and ammunition in Zamfara.
“They should bring any proof of that “Because I engage in dialogue, it was not only me. Remember that all the governors dialogue; 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. Matawalle also indicated that his accusers are all involved in the activities they have alleged against him.
“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. Yet, I seem to be singled out, perhaps because Zamfara is a complex state with terrible human beings and devilish ideas,” he stated.
The former Governor of Zamfara also denied allegations of siphoning state funds, claiming these were fabrications of the governor.
He said, “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?” he asked.
Certainly, this is not the end of this matter, the animosity between these two will linger on for a long time to come.
– WALE LAWAL (08037209290)
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