A former aide to Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, has accused him of orchestrating targeted killings through police operatives and collaborating with notorious bandits during his tenure as governor of Zamfara State.

Allegations by Former SSA
Musa Muhammad Kamara, also known as Musa Kamarawa, who served as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Matawalle when he was governor, made the claims in an interview with the Hausa-language media platform rHi Hausa.

Kamara alleged that Matawalle “has police officers working for him who kill whomever he orders and spare whomever he chooses.” He further claimed that, during Matawalle’s governorship, the state government procured vehicles for bandit leaders, including Bello Turji and Halilu Sububu, as part of a government engagement strategy. Kamara admitted to facilitating the provision of one such vehicle.

Legal and Personal Persecution Claims
According to Kamara, after exposing these activities, he became a target for law enforcement, describing encounters with the police and courts as forms of persecution rather than legitimate prosecution. He alleged that federal institutions were used to terminate cases quietly, and that powerful forces still threatened his life.

Kamara also expressed frustration over selective media coverage, saying, “If you could watch all the videos they released about me, they always cut where I mentioned that I’m SSA to Governor Matawalle. They have taken me to court three times, yet they refused to come as witnesses. All they want is media trials.”

Religious Oaths and Challenge
Throughout the interview, Kamara repeatedly swore by the Qur’an to affirm the truth of his statements and challenged Matawalle to publicly deny the allegations under oath.

Defiance and Reflection
Despite the threats, Kamara framed his ordeal as a lesson in survival and faith, asserting, “Even if you kill me, I have honour, by Allah… I have seen what I thought was impossible become possible. I learned the education of life; enough for living in this world.”

Kamara’s statements have since circulated widely on social media, sparking debate about alleged corruption and collusion between political figures and criminal networks in Zamfara State.