The Yoruba Youth Council, an umbrella body of youths in Yorubaland has deplored the reported allegation that the Minister of State for Defence, Muhammad Matawalle facilitated the escape of the embattled former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to Niger Republic.
Condemning the allegation as “reckless, wicked, unethical, false, irresponsible, immoral, condemnable and actionable,” the Council’s National President, Chief Eric Oluwole described the publication as a hatchet job to smear the minister.
Oluwole who also doubles as the National Leader of Yoruba Youths, said: “The writer of this thrash must have been working with the incumbent Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal because, over time, the Governor of Zamfara State has been looking for a way to destroy the image of Matawalle as one of the best Ministers serving in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.
Querying: “How can the writer be specific about Matawalle among all the Ministers working with Mr. President?” Oluwole quoted a Yoruba proverb that says “Bi iku ile ko ba pani, ti ita ko le pani” which means “It is difficult for the enemy from outside to kill us without the support of the enemy within.”
He said: “We discovered that the writer and the Zamfara State Governor are working together.”
Oluwole said: “Yoruba youths have identified Matawalle as a good successful past Governor of Zamfara State, who has done very well for the state during his Administration.
“This was why Mr. President showed interest in him and appointed him to be part of his cabinet.
“And ever since, he has been a very close person to Mr. President, a hard-working minister with a superlative support for the Tinubu administration.”
A newspaper report on Thursday quoting an investigative journalist, Jackson Ude, alleged that the Minister who it described as an ally of Bello, used eight military personnel in two dark-tinted Hilux pick up and a Land Cruiser to ferry the former Kogi Governor across the border to the Niger Republic.
Bello is facing charges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly looting over N80billion during his reign as Governor of Kogi state, and has repeatedly evaded arrest and prosecution.
Quoting Ude, the report alleged that “Credible intelligence indicates that Minister of State, Defence, Matawalle, a close ally of Bello, mobilized military personnel who helped the former Kogi Governor to escape to Niger Republic.”
It alleged: “According to the intelligence, eight Army personnel escorted Yahaya Bello through Kebbi state via Illela, a border town, using two dark tinted Hilux pick up and a Land Cruiser carrying the former Kogi Governor.”
Besides, the report implicated a former Kaduna State Governor Nasir Rufai alleging: “Former Kaduna Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, was also part of the scheme that helped Yahaya Bello escape.”
