Abuja’s Defence Headquarters (DHQ) announced that investigations are actively underway into allegations of banditry sponsorship in Nigeria’s Northwest region. Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, the DHQ’s Director of Media Operations, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, emphasizing that relevant agencies are diligently pursuing the matter.
This announcement follows accusations exchanged between Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence and former governor of Zamfara, and his successor, Dauda Lawal. Matawalle recently challenged Lawal to swear on the Holy Qur’an that he was not involved in sponsoring bandits. In retaliation, Lawal pledged to provide evidence against Matawalle and stated he had reported the matter to the National Security Adviser and President Bola Tinubu.
Buba confirmed the military’s involvement, stating, “When you talk about what’s going on about the sponsors, I can assure you that the relevant agencies… are doing a good job. And sooner than later, you will hear some announcements in that regard.”
Meanwhile, the Tinubu Youth Network, a support group for the All Progressives Congress, Nigeria’s ruling party, has called for Matawalle to resign pending the outcome of the investigation, citing the serious nature of the allegations and their potential impact on the party’s integrity.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
