Ibrahim Dosara, former Zamfara Commissioner, has strongly rejected allegations against Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle.
In a statement released on Sunday, Dosara described the claims as politically motivated. He questioned the timing of these accusations. They surface as Nigeria intensifies its efforts to tackle insecurity.
Dosara highlighted that these accusations have faced repeated investigations. None of these probes have resulted in any indictment or official finding.
He noted that individuals making these claims over the years have not pursued formal complaints. This includes former aides and political rivals. They have not approached law enforcement agencies, anti-corruption bodies, or the courts.
Allegations Part of Zamfara’s Political Landscape
“Allegations against Dr. Matawalle have been part of Zamfara’s political theatre since 2019,” Dosara stated. “They have been investigated, revisited, and scrutinised.”
He added that these investigations have not produced “a single indictment, charge, or official recommendation of wrongdoing.”
Dosara challenged the accusers. “If any of the individuals cited possessed credible evidence, the law provides clear avenues,” he explained. He mentioned the police, intelligence agencies, the EFCC, ICPC, or a competent court.
“Yet none has ever taken this path,” Dosara observed. “Instead, the accusations survive only as sound bites. They are weaponised and recycled when political motivations demand it.”
He stressed the importance of due process. “Due process, not speculation, remains the only acceptable test of integrity in a constitutional democracy,” he asserted.
Matawalle’s Administration and Security Efforts
Dosara further argued that the portrayal of Matawalle’s administration in Zamfara has been distorted. He noted that the administration expanded security deployments. It also strengthened intelligence coordination during its tenure.
He clarified that dialogue with armed groups was a strategy. Federal officials and security experts across the northern region supported it at the time. This strategy was abandoned when intelligence agencies deemed it no longer effective.
“The so-called ‘dialogues,’ now twisted out of context, were a nationally endorsed strategy,” he explained. “Security experts, northern elders, and federal authorities recommended it.”
Dosara concluded that “Nearly every state in the Northwest and North-Central experimented with similar models.”
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