The Presidency has explained why President Bola Tinubu retained Bello Matawalle as Minister of State for Defence amidst allegations of his involvement in sponsoring banditry in Zamfara State.
This clarification followed the recent cabinet reshuffle, where some ministers were removed, and seven new appointments were made.
Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed the claims against Matawalle as baseless, insisting that the allegations were false and mere fabrications.
Onanuga revealed that despite the accusations, President Tinubu had no reason to dismiss the minister, as investigations by the National Security Adviser (NSA) showed no evidence to support the claims.
“As far as I know, most of those things are just mere allegations,” Onanuga said during an appearance on Arise TV. “I sent something to the NSA asking if he had heard about these claims, and he said no. We have investigated, and they are not true.”
Matawalle and Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, have been locked in a war of words, accusing each other of involvement in terrorism and banditry within the state.
To clear his name, Matawalle even challenged Governor Lawal to swear on the Quran that he was not part of the criminal activities in Zamfara.
Despite these public allegations, Tinubu’s decision to keep Matawalle in his cabinet highlights the administration’s confidence in the minister’s innocence.
“The President has heard many stories about him, but the fact that he remains in the cabinet shows those allegations have been investigated and found to be untrue,” Onanuga added.
This development comes amid heightened concerns over security challenges in Zamfara State and the ongoing battle to tackle banditry across the region.