The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has come out in strong defense of Dr. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, Minister of State for Defense and former Governor of Zamfara State, against allegations of terrorism leveled against him by alleged bandits’ kingpin, Bello Turji.
In a statement, HURIWA described the allegations as “politically motivated” and called for an in-depth security investigation to identify and prosecute politicians allegedly funding terrorism in Zamfara State.
The association noted that the allegations against Dr. Matawalle escalated after he condemned Northern Elders sabotaging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government and soliciting their support.
HURIWA questioned how a wanted criminal like Turji could make a video broadcast and circulate it to the media without being tracked, and reported that protesters were allegedly mobilized to attack Dr. Matawalle’s residence but were repelled by security personnel.
The association called on security forces to launch a comprehensive investigation into the politicians purportedly funding terrorism and manipulating narratives to tarnish Matawalle’s image.
“The involvement of an alleged known terrorist in a political smear campaign is a dangerous precedent that must be addressed immediately,” said Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA’s National Coordinator.
HURIWA urged the public to disregard the “unprofessional and poorly produced audio-visual materials” being circulated to tarnish Dr. Matawalle’s image, emphasizing that exposing and prosecuting those behind these baseless allegations will strengthen Nigeria’s fight against insecurity and uphold the rule of law.