The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle has described some allegations made against him by a wanted terrorist leader, Bello Turji in a viral video as falsehood.
INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that Turji accused the minister of complicity in terrorism in Nigeria.
The 28-year-old terrorist leader allegedly led an attack from January 4 to 6, 2022, where over 200 people including women and children were reportedly massacred in Zamfara State.
Turji was heard in the viral video, alleging that the issue of insecurity plaguing the country had the full backing of the immediate past governor of Zamfara State and current Minister of State for Defence.
He said: “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.
“But the government failed to ask the group to surrender their weapons. Another group led by Bashari Maniya has over 300 guns.”
Reacting to the accusations through his media consultants on Sunday, Matawalle denied the claims, describing them as unfounded lies.
He said: “Our attention has been drawn to a video shared on the X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook page in which baseless, malicious, unfounded, mischievous and deliberate concocted lies were told against the Honourable Minister of State for Defense, H.E Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle.
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“We are not unmindful of the sustained attacks on the person, integrity, and patriotic sense of duty of our client. What we find disheartening and despicable is the brazen disregard for public safety and national security.
“While the video speaks to its discedibility, it is pertinent to address the outlandish allegations made by Bello Turji, a wanted kingpin of banditry.
“It is noteworthy that the efforts of the honourable minister of state, while as Governor of Zamfara State between 2019 and 2023, saw banditry and all other sundry of criminality tackled head on.
“His demonstration of strength of Character by insisting he was not going to negotiate with Bandits after the closure of the amnesty window for them to lay down their arms, and strong insistence of Bello Turji doing such is enough motivation for the hatchet man job is he doing.
“The Government House does not have armoury, and it is also on record that the cache of arms was handed over to relevant security agencies of government.
“Anyone with basic knowledge of psychoanalysis of a terrorist and deranged mind like Turji will know that he is engaging in ‘victim mentality.’”
