A counter‑insurgency expert has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately dismiss the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, accusing him of complicity and failure in tackling the worsening insecurity in Zamfara State. The security analyst argued that as banditry, mass abductions and rural killings intensify across the North‑West, keeping Matawalle in office “undermines any serious war on terror” and sends the wrong message to both Nigerians and international partners.
According to the expert, Matawalle’s tenure as Zamfara governor and now as a junior defence minister has coincided with the entrenchment of bandit networks that continue to terrorise communities. He alleged that the minister’s previous policy of negotiating and granting amnesty to bandits effectively emboldened criminal gangs instead of dismantling them. The analyst maintained that “anyone who once openly fraternised with these elements cannot credibly coordinate a decisive counter‑insurgency strategy,” insisting that Tinubu must overhaul his security team if he is serious about ending rural terrorism.
The commentator also referenced recent diplomatic reports suggesting that foreign partners are increasingly wary of collaborating closely with Nigerian defence officials whose records on corruption, human‑rights protection or links to non‑state armed groups are questioned. In his view, relieving Matawalle of his position would “signal a clean break with compromised approaches” and allow the President to appoint a minister with “impeccable integrity and a track record of professionalism” to drive reforms in the defence sector.
He warned that failure to act decisively could deepen public distrust in the government’s security agenda and fuel perceptions that powerful political figures are shielded from accountability while ordinary citizens bear the brunt of violence. Urging the President to match rhetoric with action, the expert stressed that “the fight against insurgency and banditry is not just about deploying troops; it is about the credibility and competence of those leading the effort,” and that sacking Matawalle would be a necessary first step toward restoring confidence.
