A former aide to the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, has accused his former principal of colluding with security operatives to target perceived enemies and engaging with bandit leaders during his tenure as governor of Zamfara State.
The allegations were made by Musa Muhammad Kamara, also known as Musa Kamarawa, who identified himself as a former Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Matawalle, in an interview with a Hausa-language media outlet, rHi Hausa. Excerpts from the interview have since circulated widely on social media.
Matawalle, who governed Zamfara State until 2023, was appointed Minister of State for Defence by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in August 2023.
In the interview, Kamara alleged that Matawalle had police officers working for him who carried out killings on his instructions and protected selected individuals. He also claimed that the Zamfara State Government, under Matawalle, procured vehicles for some bandit leaders as part of an engagement strategy at the time.
According to Kamara, he was invited by security operatives in 2021 following allegations that the state government had purchased vehicles for bandits, including Bello Turji and Halilu Sububu. He claimed he confirmed to investigators that vehicles were indeed provided, adding that he personally facilitated the procurement of a replacement Hilux vehicle for one of the bandit leaders after an earlier vehicle developed a fault.
Kamara further alleged that after he began speaking publicly about the matter, Matawalle colluded with elements of the Nigeria Police Force to persecute him, subjecting him to arrests and prosecutions that ultimately collapsed due to lack of evidence.
He claimed the cases against him were later withdrawn and transferred to the Federal High Court in Abuja, where they were eventually struck out. Kamara said he now fears for his life, alleging that powerful interests want him silenced.
Throughout the interview, Kamara swore by the Qur’an to affirm the truth of his claims and challenged Matawalle to publicly deny the allegations under oath.
As of the time of filing this report, Matawalle and the Ministry of Defence had not responded to the allegations.
