The Arewa Integrity League, has accused Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle of orchestrating a deliberate media smear campaign.
Spokesman of the group, Comrade Musa Garba, in a statement on Friday, claims that Matawalle has manipulated false reports to falsely implicate Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal Dare, former NSA Aliyu Gusau, and Defence Minister Badaru in criminal activities allegedly tied to his former aide, Bashir Hadeja.
Garba said: “Matawalle stands accused of orchestrating a false report linking Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal Dare, former NSA Aliyu Gusau, and Defence Minister Badaru to the alleged criminal activities of his former aide, Bashir Hadeja.
“Bashir, who for many years managed Matawalle’s Gold mining site deals in Zamfara as his Special Assistant, was recently embroiled in a Matawalle family feud. This context raises suspicions about Matawalle’s motives.”
The group noted that Matawalle has been at loggerheads with Governor Dare and former NSA Gusau for years, with tensions escalating in recent weeks. By roping in Defence Minister Badaru, Matawalle aimed to create confusion and falsely implicate him in the scandal.
“Matawalle’s cheap media antics are well-known,” the group stated, “he’s using Hadeja’s case to settle scores with his political enemies and drag down others to cover his tracks,” the statement noted.
The group warned Nigerians to be cautious of Matawalle’s misinformation tactics, exposing his plan to use Hadeja’s situation to tarnish the reputations of his adversaries.
It added that the former NSA Gusau is “More sophisticated, beyond Matawalle’s smear campaign and no Nigerian would believe Matawalle’s media campaign against the man.
“As for governor Lawal Dare, it is obvious that Matawalle is uncomfortable that the current governor is doing his best to rescue the state from Matawalle’s destructive legacies.
“This expose aims to set the record straight and alert the public to Matawalle’s smear campaign,” the group said.