Nigeria: Zamfara Governor Denies Ruling Party’s Accusation of Sponsoring Bandits

Zamfara State governor Bello Matawalle has described as insulting and a malicious calumny, accusations of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) that he sponsors bandits in the state.

According to the governor, his administration has ensured that terror attacks have been reduced drastically in the state in less than two years than APC’s unfortunate eight years.

The Nigerian ruling APC had last week accused an a serving governor as the sponsor of insecurity in the country, without revealing the identity or party affiliation of the governor.

The allegation followed the abduction of hundreds of students by the terrorist group, Boko-Haram, in Katsina, a state within the North-west region.

“Our security agencies have intelligence reports linking one of the North-west governors of colluding and sponsoring the violent and criminal activities of bandits in the zone. I won’t give details because of the sensitive and security nature of the issue.

“However, relevant security agencies must as a matter of urgency investigate the report and determine its veracity. Human life is not what we should play political chess games with,” the party deputy spokesperson, Yekini Nabena said, linking the unpleasant development to the party’s ‘political enemies’.

But Matawalle in a series of tweet on Sunday said: “I find it insulting that the APC is accusing me of sponsoring bandits in my own state. We all are living witnesses to the fact that during Apc’s tenure, Zamfara state was adjudged as a colony of banditry in the whole world.

“We are not claiming that insecurity has totally been eliminated in Zamfara but it is on record that terror attacks have reduced drastically in the state in less than two years than Apc’s unfortunate eight years when people were running away from the State.

“This is a malicious calumny by the ruling party, releasing a statement as sensitive as that, knowing fully how miserable they governed the state for the past years. Their statement is not only laughable but shows the type of leadership they have.”

By Abel Ejikeme
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