Swear you have no bandits’ ties, Mattawalle tells Zamfara gov, Gusau

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, has challenged the Governor, Dauda Lawal, and ex-Security Mogul, General Aliyu Gusau, to take an oath to prove they have no involvement in the insecurity in the state.

According to Matawalle, both Lawal and Gusau should come forward and swear by the Holy Quran if they allegedly have no hand in the banditry ravaging Zamfara State and the entire Northwest.

The Minister, who spoke on Channels Television and was monitored in Kaduna on Tuesday, said that when he was in office as Governor of Zamfara State, he was the only one who swore by the Holy Quran that he had no connection with bandits nor any interest in the criminality perpetrated by the marauding bandits in the state. He added that he ensured his aides, commissioners, and councillors took an oath before their appointments.

It will be recalled that the incumbent governor of Zamfara State, Lawal, had earlier asked Matawalle to resign his position as Minister of Defense due to his alleged involvement in banditry.

Responding to the allegations, Matawalle challenged anyone with proof of his involvement in aiding bandits to come forward and present the evidence.

The former Governor, who described Zamfara as a “very complex and devilish state to govern,” also recalled that he was not the only Governor who dialogue with bandits, noting that the former governors of Sokoto, Niger, and Katsina also negotiated with bandits to prevent the collapse of their states.

When asked why he was accused of aiding banditry, Matawalle responded: “They should bring any proof for that.”

He stressed further: “Because I dialogue with bandits? I was not the only one who dialogued with them. The Governor of Niger State, Abu Sani Bello, the Governor of Sokoto, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and the Governor of Katsina also dialogued with them. So why only me?

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“Zamfara is a very small and complex state with terrible human beings and devilish ideas.

“The people of Zamfara will not like me because I’m fearless and can confront anyone. Most of those involved in this heinous act don’t like me because I go after all of them. Those destabilising the state are politicians.

“Let me remind you, during my term, I was the only governor who swore with the Holy Quran that I had no hand or connection with banditry and that I was not happy with what was happening. I swore with the Holy Quran that if I was happy with what was happening, or if I was part of it, or knew those doing it, or if I collaborated with them, that God should not give me one second of grace.

“And I challenged all the politicians then, including General Ali Gusau and Dauda (Zamfara Governor), to come and do the same, but none of them took the oath. I took the oath because I had a clean conscience, and not only that, I ensured that all my councillors, chairmen, and commissioners took the oath before appointments that they had no hand in the criminal activities in the state. Go and check, the record is there.

“I challenge those people to take that same oath. None of them has taken that oath till today since I challenged them.”