The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has been accused of allegedly colluding with bandits to orchestrate the abduction of 300 students from Government Secondary School, Kankara, in Katsina State during his tenure as Zamfara State Governor.

In an interview with an online TV station, Special Assistant to Governor Dauda Lawal on Media and Communications, Mustafa Jafaru Kaura, alleged that Matawalle played a central role in the kidnapping.

The Kankara abduction took place on December 11, 2020, when over 300 students were kidnapped from the Government Science Secondary School in Kankara, Katsina State

The boys were later confirmed released on December 18, 2020.

Why I Built a Horse To Commemorate Ijebu Heritage - Ogun Sculptor0:00 / 0:00

Regbe-Regbe Groups Steal the Spotlight at Ojude Oba 20250:00 / 0:00

Kaura, in the interview, claimed that the former governor collected N300m from then-Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, as ransom for the release of the abducted students but diverted most of the funds.

He said, “Matawalle collected N300m from his counterpart, the then Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari, with the aim of facilitating the release of the 300 kidnapped students of GSS Kankara.

“However, at the end, he gave the bandits only N30m and took the remaining N270m for himself.”

In response, the Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress said it would take legal action against Kaura for what it called “baseless and unfounded” allegations against Matawalle, who is the party’s leader in the state.

In a statement to journalists on Wednesday, APC spokesperson Yusuf Idris, announced that the party had convened an emergency meeting and resolved to take Kaura to court.

Idris said, “The Zamfara State chapter of the APC under its chairman, Tukur Umar Danfulani today held an emergency SWC meeting and reviewed the provocation by Mustapha Jafaru Kaura against its leaders, who need to be called to order.

“The meeting condemned the lies peddled by the Zamfara State government against the APC leaders in the state, more especially against the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, on very sensitive issues which need to be investigated.”

“The callousness of Mustapha Jafaru Kaura, spokesman to Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, characterised by open insults, character assassination, and direct abuse of APC Zamfara State chapter chieftains—particularly the state party leader and current Minister of State for Defence, former governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle, as well as the former governor now Senator representing Zamfara West, Hon. Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar—can no longer be tolerated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.”

The party noted that Kaura’s comments about the December 11, 2020 abduction of students in Kankara amounted to grave accusations.

“The recent outpouring by Mustapha Jafaru Kaura that over 300 students of GSS, Kankara, in the bordering state of Katsina, were whisked into the forest at gunpoint by a gang of armed bandits, and indeed many kidnappings, followed a deliberate collaboration between former governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle—now Minister of State for Defence—and the bandits, will be met with court action. The party will file a suit for Kaura to provide all the details of his assertions.

The APC said it would not only demand Kaura provide evidence of his claims but also explain his statements about other high-profile abductions in Zamfara during Matawalle’s tenure.

“Mustapha Jafaru Kaura must also prove and give details of the kidnappings of the over 270 female students of Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe, in Zamfara State—who were abducted by bandits on February 26, 2021, and rescued by Matawalle just two days after.

“The same applies to students of Kaya in Maradun Local Government Area and students from the College of Agriculture and Animal Science in Bakura, Zamfara State, who were also rescued by Matawalle.”

The party also indicated it may include the online platform that conducted the interview in the legal proceedings.

“The party will also consider joining the platform used in the interview in the case, as both the interviewee and the interviewer seemed to be going through a prepared document in order to achieve their set objective,” he said.

Efforts by The PUNCH to get Matawalle’s direct response were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to multiple phone calls.

However, his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Ibrahim Danmaliki, confirmed that the minister was fully aware of the legal plans being made by the APC.

He said, “Honourable Bello Matawalle is in the picture of what is going on concerning the plan by his party, APC, to go to court with Mustapha Jafaru Kaura, who accused him of conniving with bandits to abduct students of GSS Kankara in Katsina State.

“He was behind the move because he has been accused of what he did not do. So, to cut things short, the minister is fully aware of the arrangement, and he is in support of the court action by the APC leadership