A renewed wave of criticism has swept over Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle after an old video resurfaced online showing him seemingly offering justification for the actions of bandits. The clip’s re-emergence has sparked fresh calls for his immediate removal from office.
The footage, first broadcast by Channels Television in 2021, captures Matawalle then serving as Zamfara State governor speaking to State House correspondents in Abuja following a meeting with former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In the video, he argues that “not all” bandits in the North-West are criminals, suggesting that some resorted to violence in retaliation for alleged provocations from local vigilante groups.
Matawalle claimed that certain armed groups took up weapons because they felt “cheated,” alleging that vigilantes had targeted their communities and livestock, creating cycles of revenge attacks.
The video resurfaced shortly after the resignation of Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru, a development that appears to have intensified public scrutiny on the Defence Ministry’s leadership.
Social media users on X (formerly Twitter) quickly seized on the clip, expressing concern over Matawalle’s previous comments and questioning his fitness for his current position.
One user, @A6udawud, accused Matawalle of favouring negotiation with armed groups, writing: “Tinubu should take out Matawalle who turns the Defence Ministry into a campaign hub.”
Another, @tkayose, questioned why he remained in office despite his earlier stance, adding: “No wonder the APC Tinubu government keeps using bandits in place of terrorists.”
Similarly, @engr_shaibu_ labelled him a “terrorists’ sympathiser,” arguing that entrusting him with national defence was “a grave misjudgement.”
User @RealQueenBee__ criticised those responsible for his appointment, stating: “You knew who he was, and still gave him the job.”
Advertisement
