Matawalle, a terrorist jihadist sympathiser?
A resurfaced video of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has triggered fresh controversy and renewed demands for his removal from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.
The video, originally recorded in 2021 during Matawalle’s tenure as Governor of Zamfara State, reappeared online this week and has fuelled public criticism over his remarks defending some groups linked to banditry in the state.
Speaking to journalists at the State House, Abuja, after a meeting with the late President Muhammadu Buhari, Matawalle argued that those widely labelled as bandits were not all criminals.
“Not all of them are criminals,” he said in the Channels Television interview. “If you investigate what is happening, and what made them take the laws into their hands, some of them were sometimes cheated by so-called vigilante groups.”
He alleged that some vigilante operatives attacked settlements, destroyed property, and took animals, leaving affected groups with no avenue for redress.
“They did not have anyone to speak with, so sometimes, they go for revenge,” he continued. “When the vigilante group attacks them, they go for reprisals. That is exactly what happened.”
The clip resurfaced shortly after the resignation of Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru and President Tinubu’s subsequent nomination of former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa (rtd).
Security analyst and counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama has also joined the chorus of critics, urging President Tinubu to dismiss Matawalle from office. Makama made the call shortly after Badaru’s resignation, describing the minister’s past remarks as incompatible with current national security priorities.
The renewed pressure comes amid ongoing debate over recent adjustments to Nigeria’s security leadership, which some critics say are linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s warnings over alleged Christian persecution in the country.
With the video gaining traction across social media platforms, public opinion remains sharply divided, and the question of whether Matawalle should remain in office continues to gather momentum.
