The state minister for defense, Bello Matawalle, has distributed food items to some selected bandits terrorizing Zamfara State.

Mr. Bello Matawalle was the immediate past governor of Zamfara.

An investigation by The Mail News revealed that the distribution started on March 17, 2024, targeting the bandits led by the fugitive Ado Aliero.

Our sources indicate that Mr. Bello Matawalle dispatched 50 bags of rice to Ado Aliero. The delivery was facilitated by Musa Bawa Yankuzo, a former member of the Zamfara State House of Assembly.

Our source further disclosed that the food items were first stored in the house of one Audu Headmaster, before they were delivered to the fugitive Ado Aliero.

During the administration of Bello Matawalle, Ado Aliero was turbaned as the Sarkin Fulani of Yandoton Daji emirate on July 16, 2022.

Since 2020, we have followed the rise and trajectory of banditry especially in the North Western part of Nigeria that comprises Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara States with a special focus on Zamfara State which has undoubtedly remained the epicentre of banditry in Nigeria.

We have equally x-rayed Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle's so-called peace accord and its attendant achievements or otherwise since his assumption of office in 2019. In a twist of event, we have uncovered a strong collaboration between State Officials including traditional rulers and security agents with bandits. These collaborations enjoyed the full backing of the outgoing Governor of Zamfara State.

The peace accord the outgoing Governor parades as his major achievement is nothing but a high-wired deception to divert attention from the real issue behind the root cause of banditry, its sponsors, and enablers. The outgoing Governor nurtured the banditry and pampers the bandits as tools for his political survival. Alas, he was wrong, as he was rejected by the conscious people of Zamfara State.
You may recall sometime in 2009, the Governor sets up a fact-finding committee on the remote and immediate causes of banditry to unravel actors, agents, and triggers of the banditry. The Committee was constituted and headed by the former Inspector General of Police, IGP MD Abubakar, MNI; other members of the committee include Sen. Saidu Dansadau, Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi among others. The committee has since concluded its reports and submitted same to the Governor with far-reaching recommendations including but not limited to dethroning of some indicted Emirs, District Heads, and Village Heads, other recommendations include dismissal and decommissioning of some security agents found to have aided banditry in one way or the other. But, the reports never see the light of day because those indicted had threatened to expose the Governor’s role in the escalation of the banditry and how he profits from it.
The committee further recommends the setting up of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to address all forms of banditry in Zamfara State. However, 3 years after the submission of the reports, Governor Bello Matawalle has turned a blind eye as he neither set up a judicial commission nor implement any of the recommendations of the MD Abubakar’s Committee Report. The banditry remains the only justification for the Governor’s broad daylight stealing using the instrumentality of security votes in the name of his illusory fight against banditry.

In a most revealing expose, Governor Matawalle set up committee after committee as a way to buy time to divert attention from the content of the reports; these committees are often a duplication of one another. Matawalle was all out as it were to deploy friendly bandits to help him win re-election and to protect state-sponsored illegal mining of Gold, Rhodium, Manganese, and Lithium in Maru, Talata, Anka, Maradun, and Bukkuyum LGAs in defiance to the Federal Government banned against all forms of mining in Zamfara State.

The Governor used the so-called peace accord to get into the good books of President Muhammadu Buhari and through an effective media suppression strategy that involves financial inducement and the instigation of transfer of journalists whose conscience cannot be bought over. The resurgence of banditry in Zamfara State is on a scale never witness before his ascension, as thousands of refugees wander in parts of Zamfara State with no one to cater for them.

Matawalle's strategy has empowered and emboldened bandits to carry more heinous crimes against humanity in the way and manner he relates with them through regular phone calls and monetary and vehicular gifts to bandits kingpins operating in Zamfara State. Until very recently one of the notorious bandit’s kingpins who go by the name Bello Tagoji was housed in a 4-bedroom apartment in the Zamfara State Government House, the apartment is called Kebbi House where he dwells for about 2 years. Bello Tagoji alongside Ardon Zuru serves as the Governor’s special envoy to bandit’s kingpins.

During the Jangebe School girls’ abduction, Governor Matawalle through the help of Bello Tagoji and Ardon Zuru doles out over 100m to the abductors and emissaries with hundreds of bags of rice, jerry can of palm oil and groundnut oil, and other assorted food items to several bandits camps as a means of pacifying them. Governor Matawalle has instituted payment for ransom as a state policy, as hundreds of payments for ransom were handled through the government house and the Ministry of Security and Home Affairs. Not too long ago, over 40m naira was paid for the release of Furfuri girls through the government house negotiators.

In 2019 and 2020 the Governor gifted many assorted vehicles ranging from Volkswagen golf saloons, and Sharon buses to Toyota Hilux to different bandits kingpins within and outside Zamfara State, some of the beneficiaries include Halilu, Alhaji Auta, Smally, Ali Kawaje, Dan Nigeria, Alh Shadari, Ado Aleru, Haro.

Regrettably, they in turn deployed these vehicles to carry even more daring attacks on several communities across Zamfara State including Governor Matawalle’s local government area of Maradun. Prominent Districts in Maradun such as Faru, Gora, and Gidan Goga among several others are now governed by bandits. The main reason the outgoing Governor was humiliated by voters in his local government area.

Multiples source revealed how Matawalle has been cozy with the bandit spending hours on the phone with them through the following mobile phone numbers 08131111113, 08068877888, 08032888811, 08133333330, 08132888777, 08189772222, 09088888899, 07044331155, 09071719582, 07012799995, 07010772971 and 08133333332 while bandits he regularly interacts with are Dan Nigeria on 09122577149, Alh Shadari on 09130405375, Ado Aleru on 09133697081, Ali Kawaje on 09154970516, Bello Turji through Musa Kamarawa on 08036386655.

Understandably, the Governor profits from his symbiotic relationship with bandits’ commandants. We urge that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Department of State Services (DSS), Office of the Chief of Defence Intelligence (OCDI), and National Intelligence Agency (NIA) run checks and cross-reference these numbers to listen to a heart-wrenching conversation between the Governor and bandits warlords.

As the outgoing Governor lost all forms of immunity, we call on security agencies and corruption commissions, to as a matter of urgency arrest, investigate, and prosecute the Governor or hand him over to the I International Court of Justice (ICJ) to answer for his heinous crimes against humanity. We have it on good authority, the Governor has perfected a plan to exit the country to evade arrest and prosecution as soon as President-elect Bola Tinubu is sworn into office. This is his known strategy as he did during the Dasuki-Arms money saga when run to exile in Niger Republic.
More atrocities are to be rollout in the coming days, exposing further, how the Governor committed crimes against humanity, while in office. Stay glued to your media channels.

Signed:
Concerned Citizens for Peace, Security, and Development

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/05/group-demands-probe-zamafaras-ex-governor-matawalle-over-rise-of-banditry-during-his-reign/

In less than a month to vacate the government house, more revelations keep popping out on how the outgoing Zamfara State Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle approved and disbursed complete payment for projects that were either bogus or abandoned at an early stage.

A recent investigation has shown how the outgoing Governor disbursed billions of Naira to contractors for the construction and furnishing of Governor’s Lodges across 14 local government areas of the State.

Checks into the record of the shady projects have exposed the identity of some of the contractors as cronies, and close associates of Governor Matawalle.

Zamfara State Government under Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle has in the year 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic approached the Federal Government for payment of the sum of two billion Naira as a COVID-19 facility. The state government stated that it needs the funds to renovate, furnish and buy medicines for hospitals across the state.

In January 2023, the Federal Government of Nigeria disbursed the sum of two billion Naira to the Zamfara State Government as requested. The money was meant for renovation, rehabilitation, and supply of medicine to hospitals across the state.

A document from the Zamfara State Ministry of Health exposed how the outgoing Governor approved the payment of 323, 029, 163. 88 Naira to a contractor DBC Nigeria Construction and Mech. Company Limited for the renovations and rehabilitation of the Gummi General Hospital.

A visit to the General Hospital in Gummi has shown otherwise. The hospital is in very bad shape with infrastructural decay. There is no ongoing project despite the payment of millions by the governor.

Another firm New Horizon LTD was approved to rehabilitate and renovate the General Hospital in Tsafe local government. Matawalle’s government has released the sum of 91, 000, 000 Naira to the contractor. The hospital in Tsafe is still in bad shape.

In 2020, A.H.B Modandi Global Services was awarded the contract to construct 14 Women and Children Welfare Clinics across 14 local government areas of the State. The total sum of 352, 171, 190. 00 has been paid, yet such clinics do not exist in hospitals across the state.

On 2nd November 2020, the same A.H.B Modandi Global Services was awarded the contract to procure hospital equipment for 10 Women and Children Welfare Clinics. The sum of 516, 554, 752. 00 was released as payment for the procurement.

Alhaji Mas’ud Abdulkadir Danguruf was a Bonafide PDP supporter who donated heavily to the campaign of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar in 2019. He initiated the Danguruf support group for Atiku in Katsina State. The Katsina State-born businessman defected to APC in 2022 through the outgoing Zamfara Governor Bello Matawalle.

Danguruf’s companies were among the top five companies that Governor Matawalle uses for bogus projects, especially construction, procurement and supplies.

His company Danguruf Pharmaceutical Limited has been awarded a contract of the total sum of 59, 141, 575. 00 to construct Governor’s Lodge in Bukkuyum local government area. The sum of 35, 608, 185.13 was withdrawn from the State treasury and released to Mr. Abdulkadir for a project yet to commence.

on 22nd December 2022, the sum of 83, 878, 092. 62 was released from the Zamfara State account to Danguruf Pharmaceutical Limited as a payment for the renovation of 10 General hospitals. The names and locations of the general hospitals have not been indicated.

Again, on 26th December 2022, the outgoing Governor Matawalle released the sum of 1, 409, 435, 798.00 to Danguruf Pharmacy LTD as payment for the procurement of hospital equipment to 10 unspecified hospitals. The funds were disbursed without any information on the names and locations of the hospitals to be equipped.

A senior staff of the Zamfara State Ministry of Health who spoke under condition of anonymity explained that the current situation of the health sector in the State is terrible and alarming. He lamented over the infrastructural decay, lack of qualified staff and zero supply of drugs.

He further expressed serious concern over the future of the health sector in the State. “The situation is scary, it is on record how billions were disbursed in the name of rehabilitation, renovations, procurement of equipment and supply of medicines. But everything is deteriorating daily.

“The incoming administration in Zamfara has a very serious job to do; to investigate the contracts awarded and the funds disbursed. Over 90% of the projects in the health sector in Zamfara are shady projects that were only on paper not in reality.

"Matawalle is desperately making moves to withdraw the remaining five hundred million Naira (500, 000, 000) balance from the Two Billion (2, 000, 000, 000.00) COVID-19 facility paid by the Federal government. He already withdrew 1, 500, 000, 000 Naira. This is a piece of key information the incoming administration of PDP in the State should take note of and thoroughly investigate when it assumes office on the 29th May 2023." The source added.

Despite creating a serious mess in Zamfara State, outgoing Governor Matawalle has relocated to the Federal Capital Territory lobbying for a Federal appointment as a cabinet member in the incoming administration of President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

http:///59e98258230510en_ng?link=1&client=news

More details are emerging on how the outgoing Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Mohammed Matawalle withdrew funds from the State’s treasury as payment for projects that are completely abandoned across the State.

Checks into the names of the contractors have shown that most of the companies that were awarded the projects are either connected directly or indirectly to the outgoing Governor. And in most cases, the contractors were awarded multiple contracts ranging from road constructions, construction of Governor’s lodges across local government areas, and other abandoned projects that consumed billions of Naira.

Zamfara State has been in the news for the wrong reasons for decades. Recently there was a report of how state government workers cried out that they celebrated the Eid fiesta on an empty stomach because Governor Matawalle failed to pay their monthly salary.

The workers accused the Governor of intentionally refusing to approve the payment of the salary because he lost his re-election bid. Though the State has been in the bad books for not paying salaries to its workers when due.

Findings by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) positioned Zamfara as the most underdeveloped state in the country. The study by the Bureau of Statistics has concluded that 78 percent of the residents of the state are poor.

This is a state that is in dire need of government interventions and programs that will alleviate poverty across the state. The people in Zamfara need investments that will provide them with jobs that will address the high level of unemployment, especially the youth.

Instead of focusing on projects that will improve the standard of living in Zamfara, the outgoing government of Bello Mohammed Matawalle has directed most of its attention to shady projects that commenced and abruptly abandoned in the process.

It is public knowledge how contractors abandoned the project to construct Governor’s lodges across 14 local government areas of the State. Billions of Naira were withdrawn from the state’s treasury and paid to contractors for the payment of the lodges that were not 30% completed.

This corrupt practice of withdrawing funds for shady projects or uncompleted projects has gotten into almost all sectors, not only the proposed Governor’s lodges. More facts have emerged on how the outgoing government withdrew and released complete payment to contractors for works not executed.

An investigation into such projects has exposed Governor Matawalle’s mismanagement of State funds – where payments were made to contractors on works that are yet to be completed.

The outgoing Zamfara State government has approved the sum of 593,535,254.00 for the construction of the road that links Kaiwa to Lamba to Gidan Goga ward on the Kauran Namoda/Shinkafi Federal Highway. The total sum of 525,510,516.77 has been released to the contractor, MotherCat Nigeria Limited. The outstanding payment for the project is 68,024,737.23, yet no work has started.

The outgoing government also approved the sum of 1,875,259,890.00 for the construction of Danmarke to Kanoma Road in the Maru local government Area of the state. The total sum of 1,567,566,531.65 has been withdrawn from the government account and released to the contractor NAEL BIN HARMAL Hydro Export (NBHH) Nigeria Limited. The outstanding is 307,693,358.35 and unfortunately, the project is yet to commence.

Furthermore, a contractor the Syndicate Construction and Commercial Company LTD was awarded a contract to construct two roads; the Maradun to Magami and Faru Road in outgoing Governor Matawalle’s local government and also to construct Mada to Wonaka, R/Bore Road. The sum of 3,39,118,189.70 was withdrawn from Zamfara State’s treasury and released as payment for the work, which is yet to commence much less of completion.

The total sum of 172,486,489.45 has been released to M. Sulaiman Enterprises Limited as payment from the Zamfara State government for the construction of a 600-meter Chediya Ukku - Gidan Mayana - Magama to Tullukawa along Anka Road. No work has started.

A contractor, Solid Soils Limited, was awarded the contract to construct Kwanar Magarya to Magama to Yanbuki to Jibiya Road. The sum of 929,502,249.04 was released from the state government’s account as payment for the work, yet there is nothing to show for it.

On a final note, the outgoing government of Bello Mohammed Matawalle has approved the reconstruction and completion of the General Hospital in Shinkafi local government. The sum of 2,429,301,036.61 has been released to the contractor 180 Circle Construction and Engineering Limited which constituted more than 80% of the total amount approved for the project, yet there is nothing to show for the work.

These are some of the shady and abandoned projects that the outgoing government of Zamfara State has perfected the release of funds as payments to contractors.

https://saharareporters.com/2023/04/30/how-governor-matawalle-disbursed-billions-naira-abandoned-road-projects-zamfara

https://leadership.ng/more-of-gov-matawalles-abandoned-projects-despite-payment-of-contract-sums/

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