The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has filed a defamation lawsuit against two prominent northern journalists, Shu’aibu Mungadi and Tijjani Ramalan, over claims that he sponsored bandits in Nigeria’s northwest region.
Matawalle is seeking N60 billion in damages for what he describes as “false and malicious” reports that have tarnished his reputation.
In the suit, filed at the Kano State High Court, Matawalle claims that the journalists, through their respective media platforms, aired defamatory statements accusing him of sponsoring bandits and being complicit in the rampant insecurity in states like Zamfara, his home state.
The lawsuit, marked K/M2102/2024, names the journalists’ employers, including Vision Media Services Ltd, Vision FM, Farin Wata Television, and Liberty Radio and TV, as co-defendants.
Matawalle’s legal team, led by Umar Said of Umar and Umar Chambers, contends that the reports have caused significant harm to the minister’s character, casting him in the light of a criminal and security threat to the region.
In his affidavit, Alhaji Masudu Abdulkadir, Matawalle’s personal assistant, stated that the defendants repeatedly aired defamatory content from January 2024, further amplifying the false narrative of the minister’s involvement in banditry.
The plaintiff argues that during his tenure as governor of Zamfara, he was committed to combating insecurity, and that these media outlets, through their broadcasts, misrepresented his efforts, painting him as a sponsor of crime.
The minister is seeking N10 billion in general damages from each of the six defendants, in addition to a 10% post-judgment interest on the entire amount until fully paid.
The lawsuit is accompanied by a request for an interlocutory injunction to prevent the defendants from airing further defamatory content about Matawalle while the case is ongoing.
Matawalle’s lawyers are also seeking a court order for a public apology and retraction, which they argue should be published in two national newspapers.
This legal action comes on the heels of growing political pressure surrounding Matawalle, who has recently faced calls for investigation and resignation. A faction within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Akida Forum, has urged the security services to probe Matawalle’s alleged links with bandits. Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has also joined in these calls, recommending that Matawalle step down to clear his name.
Despite the allegations, Matawalle has consistently denied any involvement in criminal activities, including links to bandits, and maintains that the accusations against him are politically motivated.
The Kano State High Court has set December 12, 2024, as the date for the hearing of the case.
