By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Bashir Hadejia, an ex aide to Nigeria’s Minister of State, Defence, Bello Matawalle, has been reportedly arrested on charges including treason, subversive activities, gun-running, and transnational crimes.

It was gathered that the arrest was carried out in a joint operation by the Nigeria Police Force and by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Hadejia was former aide to Matawalle when he served as Governor of Zamfara State.

It was learnt that Hadejia who specialises in money laundering and other transnational crimes was over the weekend arrested for treason, subversive activities against the Nigerian government, trans-border gun-running, heist, and other crimes.

The former Director of Strategy and Communications to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Jackson Ude, made this known on his X handle on Wednesday, while disclosing that the arrest was prompted by intelligence reports indicating Hadeja’s involvement in smuggling large quantities of weapons and gold bars, reportedly stolen from the Central Bank of Libya orchestrated by Matawalle.

According to the report, Hadejia is alleged to have used dangerous goods as a cover for aiding terrorism and other criminal activities in Nigeria’s northern states.

According to Ude, in August 2020, then Governor, Bello Matawalle, accompanied by his aide, Bashir Hadejia, went to Aso Rock and presented then President Muhammadu Buhari with Gold Bars mined from Zamfara State as part of the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative (PAGMI).

“In 2024, the security agencies arrested Hadejia on the orders of Matawalle and, then accused him for possessing bars of gold carrying Gaddafi’s statue worth one tone believed to have been stolen from the Libyan Central Bank.

He said Matawalle’s antics were a clear case of how politicians in government used security agencies to arrest and charge citizens of crimes they never committed.

“Matawalle is accusing Hadejia who was once his close ally of leaking information about him to me. It is not a case of treason, terrorism or stolen Gold Bars. This is just a war of two former friends with one who is in government, using his position to intimidate the other.”

Further investigation uncovered incriminating documents, including tracking files of high-profile individuals and an international passport from the Republic of Vanuatu, which expires on September 14, 2030.

However, a video surfaced showing Hadejia with gold bars and a statue of Gaddafi, believed to be stolen from the Libyan Central Bank.

Hadejia is reportedly cooperating with authorities, revealing the names of his sponsors and associates, including a former director of the Department of State Services (DSS).

In a video posted on Thursday by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert and security analyst in the Lake Chad region, Bashir Hadejia can be seen in a video call with someone identified as “Ade Vanuatu,” evaluating a consignment before its delivery

It would be recalled that Bello Turji, the notorious bandit kingpin in Zamfara, recently made serious allegations against Matawalle and others, claiming that the issue of insecurity plaguing the country had the full backing of the Minister—an allegation which Matawalle has denied through the media.

Turji stated that the failed Amnesty programme, supervised by the Minister, had led to the escalation of crises in the North West.

He also alleged that some of the bandit leaders involved in the peace truce moved to Sokoto metropolis after handing their arms over to their subordinates, who were then involved in kidnapping for ransom.

According to Turji, these subordinates were making returns to their leaders residing in Sokoto town. He named some of these leaders as Bashari Maniya, Kabiru, and Buhari.

“Dan Maigari is the younger brother of Bashari Maniya; he has 150 guns. His hideout is in the Maradun riverine area, and he is responsible for attacks in the Maradun axis,” said Turji.

Efforts by SaharaReporters to reach the DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya, and the Nigerian Police Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, for confirmation through calls and text messages were unsuccessful.