Politics
Coalition Berates Zamfara Gov Dauda Lawal for Financing Banditry, Illegal Gold-Mining for Selfish Gains
Coalition Berates Zamfara Gov Dauda Lawal for Financing Banditry, Illegal Gold-Mining for Selfish Gains
…Calls for Arrest of Bandits’ Sponsors
A coalition, Centre Against Banditry and Terrorism (CABT), has condemned Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, for allegedly financing banditry and illegal gold-mining activities in the state for personal gain.
Speaking at a press conference, Executive Director, Yakubu Dauda, accused Governor Lawal of paying terrorists and subversive elements over N1.3 billion to sustain his profit from illegal mining activities.
Dauda revealed that the funds were paid to notorious terrorist kingpins, including Kachalla Dogo Gide, Kachalla Bello Turji, and Ado Alero, among others, to unleash more mayhem on communities with gold deposits.
The coalition demanded a full investigation into the sponsorship of terrorism in the North West, calling for the prosecution of all persons connected with the insecurity in Zamfara State and the North-West.
Dauda urged anti-graft agencies to confirm the transactions, freeze accounts associated with the beneficiaries, and put them on trial for terrorism financing.
“Contrary to the lies told in the approval, Governor Lawal’s main motive is to sustain his profit from illegal mining activities which is his sole business. The funds paid to the terrorists seem to have been for them to unleash more mayhem on communities with gold deposits especially since there has been an uptick in attacks in the aftermath of the payments,” the statement said.
“For context, the funds transferred to these terrorists were done solely at the discretion of Governor Lawal. There is nowhere in the approval that states that this criminal enterprise was undertaken with neighbouring states or the federal government.
“The expenditure of this amount for arming terrorists and mobilising subversion of the Nigerian state did not pass through the Zamfara State House of Assembly as well if only to secure its rubber stamp approval.
“It is worrisome that Governor Dauda Lawal and the Zamfara State Government have not cleared the air on this criminal payment to terrorists since the leak of that document. Governor Lawal’s silence is an acceptance of culpability.
“This must now attract consequences because the evil he perpetrated in Zamfara affects the whole of Nigeria.”
CABT praised the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Muhammad Bello Matawalle, for his efforts in reviewing the ongoing anti-banditry and counter-terrorism operations in the North-West region, expressing hope that the banditry problem would soon be addressed.
The group said his review of the ongoing anti-banditry and counter-terrorism operations in the North-West region has reassured us that the banditry problem will one day be a thing of the past.
“The Centre Against Banditry and Terrorism (CABT) terrorism can only end if we all join hands to take the war to the sponsors of the terrorist gangs. We demand a full investigation of those behind the sponsorship of terrorism in the North West,” the statement said.
“We expect that Mr President will issue an Executive Order to accelerate the naming and prosecution of all persons connected with the insecurity in Zamfara State and the North-West to rid that part of Nigeria of terrorism.
“We urge the anti-graft agencies to confirm the transactions in the document, freeze all accounts associated with the listed beneficiaries, and put the recipients on trial for terrorism financing.”
READ THE FULL TEXT BELOW
BEING THE TEXT OF A PRESS CONFERENCE HELD IN ABUJA ON THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 5, 2024 BY CENTRE AGAINST BANDITRY AND TERRORISM ON THE COLLAPSE OF THE SECURITY SITUATION IN THE NORTHWEST OF THE COUNTRY OCCASIONED BY THE REVELATION THAT THE GOVERNOR OF ZAMFARA STATE, DAUDA LAWAL, IS PAYING BANDITS AND OTHER SUBVERSIVE ELEMENTS TO UNDERMINE SECURITY IN THE REGION AND BY IMPLICATION ACROSS NIGERIA.
Protocols,
Gentlemen of the press, you must by now be familiar with a distributed released in the public domain showing the approval by Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal that authorised payment of the sum of One Billion, Three Hundred and Seventy-Eight Million Naira (N1,378, 000,000) to terrorists, bandits and other subversive elements that are responsible for the insecurity, killings and kidnappings plaguing the north-west and other parts of Nigeria.
Contrary to the lies told in the approval, Governor Lawal’s main motive is to sustain his profit from illegal mining activities which is his sole business. The funds paid to the terrorists seem to have been for them to unleash more mayhem on communities with gold deposits especially since there has been an uptick in attacks in the aftermath of the payments.
For context, the funds transferred to these terrorists were done solely at the discretion of Governor Lawal. There is nowhere in the approval that states that this criminal enterprise was undertaken with neighbouring states or the federal government. The expenditure of this amount for arming terrorists and mobilising subversion of the Nigerian state did not pass through the Zamfara State House of Assembly as well if only to secure its rubber stamp approval.
Just to be clear, Governor Lawal paid the “BANDITS KINGPINS” as follows: (1.) Kachalla Dogo Gide = N200,000,000 (2.) Kachalla Bello Turji = N200,000,000 (3.) Ado Alero N200,000,000 (4.) Kachalla Halilu Sububu N150,000,000 and (5.) Gwaska Dan Karami N150,000,000.
He also paid subversive elements, who he described as “MEDIA PROMOTERS” as follows: (6.) Sahara Reporters N100,000,000 (7.) Jackson Ude = N158,000,000 (8.) Bashir Hadejia = N100,000,000 (9.) Shuaibu Mungadi = N50,000,000 (10.) Tijjani Lamaran N50,000,000 (11.) Danbilki Kwamanda = N20,000,000.
We want to note a few other things immediately. Firstly, the approval had this clause, “implement the project” which left us wondering. What project? The payment cannot be “the project” since the payment is meant to get the terrorists to commit to certain deliverables. What are these deliverables? Secondly, is the directive for the “state ministry of finance to release the said amount for distribution to the beneficiaries listed above as a matter of urgency.” Since this approval was from July 2, 2024, the funds have been disbursed to these criminals.
Kachalla Dogo Gide
Kachalla Dogo Gide is a vicious terror kingpin linked to the abduction of 137 students from elementary schools in Kaduna State sometime this year. He is also one of the suspected masterminds of the attack on a Kaduna-bound train and runs the biggest kidnap-for-ransom franchise in Nigeria.
Kachalla Bello Turji
Kachalla Bello Turji is a bloodthirsty notorious terrorist and bandit kingpin who has left a trail of death in the northwest. Turji led a bandit gang in the 2022 Zamfara massacres that killed hundreds of people including women and children.
Bashir Hadejia
Bashir Hadejia is in the custody of security agencies being investigated for allegedly masterminding the August 2024 #EndBadGoernanceInNigeria violent protest in the north of the country. Hadejia was arrested for treason, subversive activities against the Nigerian government, trans-border gun-running, heist and other transnational crimes.
Jackson Ude
United States-based fugitive, Jackson Ude, a self-acclaimed investigative journalist and promoter of the infamous blog pointblanknews.com, has been running pro-terrorist propaganda for the group. Known for regularly blackmailing and extorting, high profile Nigerians, Ude recently attempted to spin a narrative to exonerate Bashir Hadejia following the latter’s arrest.
Sahara Reporters (Omoyele Sowore)
Sahara Reporters’ publisher, Omoyele Sowore, is not new to controversial payments. He has been accused in the past of accepting funds from foreign interests to undermine the sovereignty of Nigeria. Sowore has become a permanent fixture on the ballot for presidential elections, a position he uses for leverage since he spins his arrests for subversive activities as a clamp down on the opposition.
These are brief profiles of some recipients of Governor Lawal’s N1.35 billion. These are persons who have declared it their life mission to bring Nigeria down. These are persons whose actions and activities have led to the spilling of the blood of innocent Nigerians. Payments to these persons have made citizens despondent.
It is worrisome that Governor Dauda Lawal and the Zamfara State Government have not cleared the air on this criminal payment to terrorists since the leak of that document. Governor Lawal’s silence is an acceptance of culpability. This must now attract consequences because the evil he perpetrated in Zamfara affects the whole of Nigeria.
We are only fortunate by the ray of hope offered by the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Muhammad Bello Matawalle, through his visit to the Nigerian Army’s 8th Division Headquarters in Sokoto State. His review of the ongoing anti-banditry and counter-terrorism operations in the North-West region has reassured us that the banditry problem will one day be a thing of the past.
Gentlemen of the press, the Centre Against Banditry and Terrorism (CABT) terrorism can only end if we all join hands to take the war to the sponsors of the terrorist gangs. We demand a full investigation of those behind the sponsorship of terrorism in the North West.
We expect that Mr President will issue an Executive Order to accelerate the naming and prosecution of all persons connected with the insecurity in Zamfara State and the North-West to rid that part of Nigeria of terrorism.
We urge the anti-graft agencies to confirm the transactions in the document, freeze all accounts associated with the listed beneficiaries, and put the recipients on trial for terrorism financing.
Yakubu Dauda
Executive Director.
Campaign funds: LP Tasks NSA, EFCC to probe Obi, Yesufu, Afenifere
The National Working Committee of the Labour Party, led by Julius Abure, has called on the National Security Adviser and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate Aisha Yesufu, Pastor Itua Ighodalo, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and leaders of Afenifere for alleged misappropriation of funds from the 2023 presidential campaign.
The call was made by the LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, at a press conference in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Wednesday.
Arabambi expressed concern over recent comments by Yesufu, who defended herself against accusations of being involved in the alleged diversion of the 2023 campaign funds.
The party has alleged that Yesufu, along with Pastor Ighodalo and other accomplices, mismanaged and diverted over N12bn and $15m in donations intended for the Labour Party’s campaign.
Arabambi dismissed Yesufu’s denials as attempts to cover up the alleged financial misconduct and criticised her statements as an insult to the party’s leadership.
He also accused Yesufu and her associates of acting under the direction of Obi, whom he described as a “political merchant,” to defraud the party.
Additionally, Arabambi implicated Afenifere leaders, including Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Akin Osuntokun, and Sola Ebiseni, accusing them of retaining over N600m in private accounts linked to Afenifere.
He claimed that these individuals were hired by Obi to commit fraud and divert funds from the Labour Party’s presidential campaign.
“The trio of Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Akin Osuntokun, and Sola Ebiseni were involved in financial infractions totaling over ₦600m, which they have kept in private accounts and Afenifere accounts,” Arabambi stated. “Peter Obi allegedly hired Aisha Yesufu, Pastor Itua Ighodalo, and this faction of Afenifere to commit looting, criminal conspiracy, and diversion of funds from the Labour Party’s presidential campaign while presenting themselves as elder statesmen.”
Arabambi highlighted the party’s commitment to transparency and accountability and called for an investigation into all bank accounts associated with the alleged misconduct.
He urged a thorough investigation into the accounts linked to Adebanjo, Osuntokun, and Ebiseni to ascertain the extent of Afenifere’s involvement in the alleged fraud.
The National Coordinator of the Obedient Movement, Dr. Yunisa Tanko, described the allegations as baseless and false.
“The allegations are unfounded. I was present when Aisha Yesufu provided the audited account of the presidential campaign fund, and the truth is that no money is missing from the Labour Party’s accounts,” Dr. Tanko stated in a phone conversation with our correspondent.
The Deputy Leader of Afenifere, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, when contacted, said he was not familiar with the allegations. “I have just seen the lengthy press statement you are referring to. I have not read it, but if Afenifere needs to respond later, we will certainly do so,” Olaitan said.
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