9th September, 2024
A respected Sokoto cleric, Mallam Bello Asada, has made explosive allegations against Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, accusing him of providing vehicles to some of the country’s most notorious bandits.
Asada in a video uploaded by Zagazola, a Counter Insurgency Expert in the Lake Chad, West Africa region, claimed that bandit leaders like Sububu, Ada Allero, and Bello Turji had received Hilux vehicles from the minister, backing his claims with video evidence.
The cleric went on to criticize the government’s efforts to capture Bello Turji, describing the N20 million bounty placed on the bandit leader as a “joke” and “skit-making.”
According to Asada, the minister is fully aware of Turji’s whereabouts and has personal knowledge of him, further intensifying concerns about government complicity in the worsening security situation.
These allegations have raised serious questions about the sincerity of the government’s fight against banditry in northern Nigeria, where kidnappings, killings, and lawlessness have continued to plague communities.
The Defence Ministry is yet to respond to the cleric’s claims.