A non-governmental group, Arewa Integrity League, of orchestrating a deliberate media smear campaign targeting key political figures.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the group’s spokesperson, Comrade Musa Garba, Matawalle is accused of fabricating reports to falsely implicate Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal Dare, former National Security Adviser, Aliyu Gusau, and Minister of Defence, Badaru, in alleged criminal activities linked to his former aide, Bashir Hadeja.
Garba alleged that Matawalle is using these fabricated reports to frame Governor Dare, ex-NSA Gusau, and Defence Minister Badaru in a scandal connected to Hadeja, who previously managed Matawalle’s gold mining operations in Zamfara as his Special Assistant.
The spokesperson emphasized that Hadeja’s involvement in a recent family dispute within Matawalle’s household raises further suspicions about the Minister’s motives.
The Arewa Integrity League pointed out that Matawalle has long been at odds with Governor Dare and former NSA Gusau, with tensions between them intensifying in recent weeks.
By dragging Defence Minister Badaru into the fray, the group claims Matawalle aims to sow confusion and falsely entangle him in the alleged scandal.
“Matawalle’s cheap media antics are well-known,” the group stated, adding that “he’s using Hadeja’s case as a tool to settle political scores and deflect attention from his own actions.”
The group cautioned the public to be wary of what it described as Matawalle’s misinformation tactics, intended to tarnish the reputations of his adversaries.
It further asserted that former NSA Gusau is too sophisticated to be brought down by such a campaign, stating, “No Nigerian would believe Matawalle’s media campaign against the man.”
As for Governor Lawal Dare, the group suggested that Matawalle is uncomfortable with the current governor’s efforts to undo what it called Matawalle’s “destructive legacies.”
“This expose seeks to clarify the truth and alert the public to Matawalle’s ongoing smear campaign,” the group concluded.
