APC REJECTS HARASSMENT CLAIMS AGAINST MATAWALL
By: Safiya Abdulrahim Dabban
The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed claims by the state government that the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Mohammed Matawalle, was involved in the alleged harassment of opposition figures, describing the accusation as false and politically driven. The party said the arrest of Saleem Abubakar, a technical assistant to Governor Dauda Lawal, was carried out by a Special Forces unit under the Office of the National Security Adviser, not by the minister.
APC maintained that security operations handled by the NSA are based on intelligence and national security concerns, adding that such actions should not be politicised. The party also clarified that Dr Matawalle was outside the country on official duty at the time of the arrest, making any claim of his involvement unfounded. It warned against the use of inflammatory terms like “abduction” and urged the state government to allow security agencies carry out their responsibilities without misinformation.