Fresh Allegations Tie Defence Minister Matawalle to Notorious Terrorist Networks
Whistleblower details covert communications, support networks, and political leverage involving armed groups.
Abuja, Nigeria – November 19, 2025
According to an exclusive by Sahara Reporters, Bello Matawalle, currently Minister of State for Defence and formerly Governor of Zamfara State, is accused by a former senior aide of maintaining deep, ongoing connections with notorious bandit commanders.
The whistleblower confirms that Matawalle funded, equipped, and politically mobilised terrorists, allegedly supplying them with 36 brand-new Hilux vehicles and buying rustled livestock directly from bandit groups.
Even more shockingly, the aide asserts that these relationships did not end when Matawalle left the governor’s seat.
He says the defence minister continues to communicate with terror leaders via WhatsApp, naming figures such as the notorious Bello Turji, Kachallah Haru Dole, and “Bello Tugoje.”
He further disclosed that bandit groups were allegedly used to influence local politics, including compelling communities to support the APC in elections.
This report not only raises serious questions about the Nigerian government’s handling of insecurity, but also reinforces long-standing claims by Nigerians: that a top security official could publicly wage war against bandits while allegedly maintaining covert ties with their leaders.
It suggests a troubling overlap of political power, patronage, and violence that undermines public trust.
The allegations contrast sharply with Matawalle’s public pronouncements: just days earlier, he claimed that most key bandit leaders had been neutralised and that only “a few scattered elements” remained.
During his time as governor of Zamfara, the state was gripped by relentless Fulani militant attacks marked by widespread robbery, kidnappings, and killings of residents.
Credibility and Source Risk
The whistleblower is anonymous (identity withheld for security), which makes verification by PEOPLES CHRONICLES difficult.
Still, the level of detail, such as specific names, vehicle counts, and financial exchanges, lends weight to the accusations. If substantiated, they would not be mere political smears, but a national security scandal.
Political Leverage & Electoral Manipulation
The claim that Matawalle ordered bandit leaders to “compel communities to vote for APC” suggests he may have leveraged criminal networks for electoral gain.
This is not just about corruption, it’s about using violence and fear as political tools.
Security vs. Hypocrisy
As Defence Minister, Matawalle is supposed to be at the forefront of Nigeria’s fight against terrorism.
But if he is allegedly still in contact with the very people he is meant to suppress, it creates a dangerous paradox: the institution tasked with eliminating insecurity may have been compromised from within even before the fight against terrorism began.
Public Trust & Governance Crisis
Even for critics who accept that dialogue/truce with bandits can be a strategy, the notion of political sponsorship of terror networks is deeply corrosive.
It undermines confidence in Tinubu’s administration, particularly in the Northwest, a region already plagued by violence.
