By kawaekwune Jeffrey
A former Zamfara State governorship candidate, Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has accused certain politicians of plotting against the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle.
Shinkafi pinpointed that a court case which accuses Matawalle of involvement in banditry lacks legitimacy and is part of an alleged plot to tarnish the minister’s reputation.
He noted that the suit, filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, is an attempt to mislead the public and damage Matawalle’s reputation, citing Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution, which presumes innocence until proven guilty.
In a statement released on Sunday, Shinkafi said: “They want to oust the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, through a fabricated Federal High Court suit. We do not doubt that the Honourable Minister will be exonerated.
“The allegations and suit were fabricated by his political opponents, hoping he would be dropped in the proposed cabinet reshuffle. Matawalle’s towering influence in Zamfara State politics is astonishing, hence the plot to pull him down by all means.
“A case filed is not a case heard, and a case heard is not a case determined until the pronouncement of the court. Every person charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty.”
Shinkafi also urged media regulatory bodies such as the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Guild of Editors, and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to investigate the source of what he described as misleading reports. He called for accountability and sanctions against those responsible for spreading falsehoods.
The New Diplomat reports that Matawalle first came under fire after Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State fired the first salvo telling the minister to resign from his position in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over alleged connection with banditry in Zamfara State.
The Zamfara governor, who spoke with the press, accused Matawalle of procuring vehicles for bandits, during his administration as the governor of the state.
According to Lawal, the former governor allegedly kept bandits at the Zamfara State government house, alleging that ransom was paid to terrorists through the State government.
However, the Minister had vehemently denied allegations linking him to the sponsorship of bandits in Zamfara State, challenging his accusers to present concrete evidence.
