Controversy has resurfaced around Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, after reports emerged that an alleged emissary sought to pressure a former aide into retracting testimony against him.

A voice note obtained by SaharaReporters implicates Dr. Sulaiman Shinkafi, a former Zamfara State official and Matawalle aide, in efforts to convince Musa Kamarawa, the minister’s ex-Senior Special Assistant, to withdraw as a court witness. In exchange, Shinkafi allegedly promised the return of Kamarawa’s seized assets and the withdrawal of criminal charges.

In the recording, Shinkafi repeatedly invoked religious oaths, assuring Kamarawa that “everything that belongs to you will be returned” if he recanted. Kamarawa, however, refused to cooperate, insisting he would not retract his claims.

The revelations intensify scrutiny of Matawalle, long linked to allegations of “peace deals” with armed groups in Zamfara during peak banditry. Northern cleric Sheikh Murtala Asada criticized Matawalle for allegedly obstructing investigations into banditry financing and questioned the minister’s accountability.

Asada claimed that as much as 70% of relevant inquiries were blocked and accused the government of using arrests and asset seizures to neutralize key witnesses, including Kamarawa. The cleric also disputed Matawalle’s narrative that weapons were recovered through peace negotiations, insisting evidence contradicts official claims.

He emphasized that his campaign is driven by conscience, not politics, and called for justice for victims of insecurity while warning against impunity and foreign interference in matters of national security