Sheikh Murtala Asada, an Islamic cleric from Sokoto State, has accused the Minister of State for Defence and former governor of Zamfara State Bello Matawalle of aiding the notorious terrorist Haroo.
President Bola Tinubu appoints Matawalle as Minister of State for Defence on August 2, 2023.
According to Asada, in a viral video clip seen by SaharaReporters, Haroo, who reportedly controls over 500 guns, was at the time shot in the leg and arrested but later released due to Matawalle’s intervention.
Asada alleged that Matawalle called “Lamorde”, instructing him to release Haroo, referring to him as “his boy.”
Ibrahim Lamorde is the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The cleric claimed that Matawalle’s representative, Bashar, was sent to bail out Haroo, who was subsequently taken to a private hospital for medical treatment.
Additionally, Matawalle purportedly provided Haroo with N3 million.
“If anyone dares, they should come and prove me wrong,” Asada challenged, intensifying the call for scrutiny over the minister’s actions.
He said, “When you talk about Haroo (a terrorist), Bello Turji is nothing more than a little Almajiri.
“Haroo has over 500 guns in his possession, but when he was arrested by operatives, the State Minister of Defence, Bello Matawalle, called Lamorde and told him to release Haroo, saying he was ‘his boy.’
“Matawalle sent one of his men, named Bashar, to bail him out. They then took him to a private hospital for medical treatment, and Matawalle gave him N3 million.
“If anyone dares, they should come and prove me wrong.”