A group, Zamfara Youth Movement (ZYM) loyal to immediate-past governor of Zamfara State and incumbent Minister of State for Defence, Dr Muhammad Bello Matawalle, has warned a controversial investigative journalist, Jackson Ude and his sponsors to stop fielding the public with lies and propaganda about an upright public servant (Matawalle).
Jackson in far away United States had claimed that Dr Matawalle allegedly facilitated the escape of former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello to Niger Republic.
According to Ude’s report on X (former Twitter), Bello, who is facing charges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged looting during his tenure, has repeatedly avoided arrest and prosecution. He added that intelligence indicated Matawalle, a close ally of Bello, mobilized eight military personnel to escort the former governor to Niger Republic via Kebbi State.
Jackson continued to say the convoy reportedly used two dark tinted Hilux pickups and a Land Cruiser to transport Bello through the border town of lllela.
Reacting to the claims in a statement on Monday, August 5, 2024, signed by ZYM convener who is from Tsafe Local Govt of the State, Alhaji Umar Abubakar, he said there was no iota of truth in the report, adding that it would no longer be tolerated for anyone to paint the minister in bad light as there will be legal consequences for such criminal defamation, particularly where there are no prove to substantiate such disparaging or misleading claim.
Alhaji Abubakar stated, “The Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle since his inception into politics was known for holding records of high moral rectitude, discipline, accountability, competence. transparency and patriotism to the nation, no matter whose ox is gored.
“For anyone who take their mental health seriously, they will never dignify Jackson Ude any response in his tirade or diatribe, but for the price we owe history, ZYM found it appropriate to set the record straight. Dr Matawalle did not and does not have any plans whatsoever to sabotage the security or intelligence architecture of Nigeria and will never indulge in such shady, sinister and tardy practices that can undermine the integrity or sanctity of his office or the administration of Hie Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.
“We at ZYM viewed this wild and baseless allegation with amusement. Frankly, Jackson and others who think like him with the vicious intention to upset the apple cart deserve to be pitied. They are so desperate to score cheap publicity by dragging the Minister at every opportunity amd they have woefully failed. Their latest strategy is to come up with a different lie for every day of the week. Suggesting that Matawalle allegedly facilitated the escape of former Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello to Niger Republic is shamelessly unpatriotic and a misinformation from the pit of hell.
“These people have lost control of their senses; their imagination has gone wild and they see things that are simply not there, they are literally hallucinating. This latest allegation is absurd; it is not rooted in truth; it is irrational and it is illogical. It is also clear that these political jobbers, purveyors of fake news and charlatans will soon be slammed with criminal defamation and they will equally be smoked out, exposed and made to face the full weight of the law so as to serve as deterrence to others. We can no longer tolerate this reprehensible act. Enough is enough.
“Instead of saying something tangible and attempting to ginger up and encourage their supporters, all they indulge in is giving them a daily dose of sub-standard fairy tales and dirty lies. They should stop all this nonsense and desist from making these wild and baseless allegations about an upright public servant with sterling records of accomplishments.