Matawalle to Dauda Lawal: I’ve no reference to bandits… I swore by Holy Quran

Bello Matawalle, minister of state for defence and ex-governor of Zamfara, says he has no hyperlinks with bandits terrorising the state.

Matawalle has been accused of ties to bandits — an allegation he has repeatedly denied.

Ali Gusau, a retired normal, had accused Matawalle of working in cahoots with bandits for initiating dialogue with gunmen.

Final week, Dauda Lawal, governor of Zamfara, stated if he had been Matawalle he would resign and work in the direction of clearing his identify.

The governor detailed how the federal government home was allegedly used to pay ransom for kidnapped kids of a everlasting secretary within the state in the course of the Matawalle administration.

In an interview on Dawn Each day, a programme on Channels Tv, on Tuesday, Matawalle stated the allegations had been spurious.

He stated he initiated dialogue with bandits throughout his spell as governor as a result of it was really helpful by safety stakeholders within the state, including that victims of abduction, together with Lawal’s brother, had been launched with out ransom.

Matawalle stated he has no regrets on the measures he took to sort out banditry throughout his tenure, including that “having dialogue” with bandits has yielded vital outcomes.

“I initiated the dialogue as a result of after I grew to become the governor, I seemed on the eventualities which had been taking place. We had a suggestion that the one choice was to dialogue with the bandits. I sat down with the safety companies, conventional rulers and all stakeholders and that was the advice we had,” he stated.

“It was higher for me than to see bandits kill the individuals of the state. Once we entered into this dialogue, that was once we recorded loads of success. We recovered loads of ammunition and we secured the discharge of adopted individuals in 1000’s.

“The report is there. Everybody knew on the time that we initiated dialogue with the bandits and I’ve no remorse for that as a result of we recorded loads of success.

“An 18-year-brother to Dauda Lawal was kidnapped seven months earlier than I took over as governor. His identify is Yusuf. They (bandits) requested about N500 million which Dauda was alleged to pay, however it was primarily based on this dialogue that this particular person was launched unconditionally with out paying a ransom.

“I used to be the one governor who swore by the holy Quran that I’ve no hand or connections to banditry. I swore that if I used to be a part of it, if I knew those that had been doing it or if I used to be collaborating with them, I stated God mustn’t give me a one-second grace.

“I challenged all of the politicians, together with Common Ali Gusau and Dauda Lawal, to do the identical. None of them might take the oath, and in the event that they don’t take the oath which means they’re a part of it.

“I’ve at all times acted in good religion, as produce other governors who engaged in dialogue with bandits, together with the Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello, and the Governor of Sokoto State. But, I appear to be singled out, maybe as a result of Zamfara is a fancy state with horrible human beings with devilish concepts.”

Matawalle additionally stated he has change into unpopular in Zamfara as a result of he’s going after prison parts who’re benefitting from the insecurity plaguing the state.

“The individuals who oppose me accomplish that as a result of I’m going after them,” he added.