A former Chairman of Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abubakar Maradun, has accused Governor Bello Matawalle of supplying vehicles to bandits.
Maradun, who spoke to Punch, alleged that Matawalle gave the bandits Hilux vehicles, which they used to attack innocent residents.
According to him, the hoodlums who killed ten people in Janbako community used two of the vehicles.
It will be recalled that SaharaReporters had exclusively reported the gift to the “repentant” bandits on Tuesday. The state government denied the report.
“They went to that village in two of the Hilux vehicles given to them by the Zamfara State Government. One of the cars broke down and was abandoned by the bandits.
“These bandits have been using the vehicles to kidnap, kill and rape innocent people and the press has been silent,” he added.
He stressed that the bandits also killed three soldiers, including a major, adding that the attack was not reported.
The Special Adviser to Governor Bello Matawalle on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Zailani Baffa, described the allegations as wicked and a figment of the writer’s imagination.”
Baffa, who was reacting to the allegations as earlier reported by SaharaReporters, said, “To disabuse the minds of those law-abiding and patriotic Nigerians, Governor Bello Mohammed used the meagre resources of the state government to purchase 200 Hilux vans in support of security operatives in the state.
“These vehicles were duly distributed to all security agencies in the state under the supervision of the Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police.
“The beneficiaries included the military, the police, the customs and excise, the immigration services, the NDLEA, the NSCDC, the FRSC, among others.”
