Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, is facing a fresh allegation of attempting to influence international narratives on the ongoing violence in parts of the country. He is particularly being accused by a United States lawmaker of trying to suppress the genocide claims in Nigeria.
Kimberly Daniels, a member of the Florida House of Representatives and Chairwoman of the United World Congress of Diplomats, UN-WCD, made the allegation during a Facebook live broadcast. She claimed the minister sought to shape the position of American officials through what she described as coordinated messaging efforts.
Daniels alleged that after she raised concerns over what she termed targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria, she came under pressure from individuals she linked to Matawalle. These, she said, included attempts to undermine her report and influence U.S.-based lawmakers.
According to her, an unnamed American legislator was allegedly persuaded to publicly oppose her stance and defend Nigeria’s defence leadership. She further claimed to have received evidence of communications, including a prepared statement and related materials, which she said were connected to the minister and aimed at swaying opinion among American officials. Daniels described the alleged effort as one intended to create division among U.S. lawmakers.
“I am speaking on behalf of people who say they are under attack,” she said, adding that her intervention was intended to prompt an investigation rather than make definitive accusations. The lawmaker also rejected any attempts to intimidate or silence her, insisting on her constitutional right to comment on international human rights concerns.
The development follows a report she issued on April 14, 2026, in her capacity as head of the UN-WCD, highlighting rising violence in Nigeria’s North Central and North West regions.
The report cited incidents during the Easter period in states such as Plateau, Kaduna, and Nasarawa, and pointed to what it described as a widening gap between official assurances and the realities on the ground. It also raised questions about the continued leadership of the defence ministry under Matawalle, citing concerns over credibility and integrity.
Among its recommendations were a review of Nigeria’s current security leadership and a call on Bola Tinubu to consider redeploying the minister, alongside initiating a transparent investigation into the issues raised.
Daniels said her position was based on testimonies from affected communities, input from members of the Nigerian diaspora, and findings from the UN-WCD’s international network, which spans the United States, Nigeria, Ghana, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Matawalle is yet to react to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.”
