A northern group, the Arewa Concerned Citizens group has urged the family of Bashir Hadeija to direct their concerns towards law enforcement and the judiciary instead of making unverified accusations against Hon. Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence.
Bashir Hadeija was apprehended by the Nigerian police in August following intelligence reports linking him to the alleged smuggling of a large cache of weapons and significant quantities of gold, allegedly stolen from the Central Bank of Libya.
On Wednesday, Hadeija’s family expressed outrage, asserting that his detention in Abuja, which commenced on Monday, was orchestrated by Minister Matawalle.
In response to these claims on Thursday, Muhammed Mustapha, the National Secretary of the Arewa Concerned Citizens, clarified that the authority over law enforcement and prosecutions lies with the police, headed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), rather than the Ministry of Defence.
Mustapha stressed that the police are in charge of the case concerning Bashir Hadeija, and any insinuation that the Minister of State for Defence influenced the arrest or prosecution is misguided.
“First and foremost, Hon. Matawalle is not the Minister of Police Affairs and holds no direct authority over police actions,” Mustapha stated.
Previously, the Hadeija family alleged that the IGP acted on Matawalle’s directives when apprehending Hadeija without a warrant or formal charges. However, Mustapha challenged the validity of this assertion, asking, “Is it reasonable to believe that the Minister of State for Defence, who has no jurisdiction over the police, could instruct the IGP in such a matter?”
He further noted that the police operate independently under the Ministry of Police Affairs and are tasked with investigating and prosecuting criminal offenses.
“It is concerning to see the ease with which people in our society resort to baseless accusations. Hon. Matawalle, like any public servant, should be judged based on facts, not on unsubstantiated claims or attempts at character assassination,” Mustapha added.
“The Hadeija family should focus their grievances on the appropriate authorities, namely the police and the courts, rather than targeting Hon. Matawalle with baseless accusations,” he urged.
