20th January, 2021
By Muhaimin Olowoporoku
Zamara State governor, Bello Matawalle has denied reports that he donated Hilux vans to bandits to facilitate their nefarious operations in the State.
A former council chairman of Maradun Local Government of Zamfara State, Hon. Ahmad Abubakar made this allegation during an interview with newsmen recently.
Hon. Abubakar pointed out that the recent terror attack on Janbako community, in Maradun Local Government Area was facilitated by the donation of three new Hilux vans, which the bandits used in their operation, resulting in the killing of ten innocent villagers.
He further accused the army and the police of nonchalant attitude, alleging that in most cases they abandoned their constitutional responsibility, only to reappear after the bandits have killed, maimed their victims, and gone unharassed.
Matawalle who reacted to these allegations in a Twitter post said the 200 vehicles were donated to security agencies in the state to boost their morale in tackling insurgency.
He described the allegation as “a display of quackery and sheer mischief targeted at disabusing the minds of law-abiding and patriotic citizens of the state.”
The said vehicles, 200 of them were donated to security agencies in the state to boost their morale in tackling insurgency. This is a display of quackery and sheer mischief targeted at disabusing the minds of law abiding and patriotic citizens of the state. https://t.co/zoH1ohOrHq
— Dr. Bello Matawalle (@Bellomatawalle1) January 19, 2021
Special Adviser to Governor Bello Matawalle on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Zailani Baffa, also reacted on behalf of the governor describing the allegations as wicked.
Baffa said the governor indeed donated vehicles but were given to security agencies in the state.
He said, “These vehicles were duly distributed to all security agencies in the state under the supervision of the Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police.
Baffa disclosed that those who received the vehicles are the military, the police, the customs, the immigration services, the NDLEA, the NSCDC, the FRSC, among others.”