No Court Ordered Me To Return Zamfara Vehicles – Matawalle

Minister of defence, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, has challenged Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State and his chief security officer to point out where the Federal High Court sitting in Sokoto, ordered the retrieval of 50 vehicles in its judgement.

The spokesman of the minister, Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara, said the press statement issued by Zamfara State government with a misleading headline: “RE-Court Orders Retrieval Of Official Vehicles Taken Away By Bello Matawalle”, is misleading, fraudulent and a pervasive lie against the court which is tantamount to contempt of court.

Dosara said there was nowhere in the judgement where the court okayed the invasion of the residences of the former governor.

He said, “There is nowhere in the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court Sokoto judicial Division on Friday in the suit filed by the immediate past governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle Maradun on the breach of his fundamental rights and that of his family by the present government of Zamfara State under Dauda Lawal Dare where the court ordered force breaking of his residences in Gusau and his home town Maradun, to take away his properties and those of his family, including 50 vehicles donated to him and the presidential candidate then, Bola Ahmed Tinubu by friends and well-wishers for campaign, being the Northwest coordinator for Tinubu/ Shettima Campaign.

“In view of the above, I am challenging the governor to release any of the court documents which stated the order to retrieve the vehicles in question.

“What the Federal High Court Sokoto Judicial Division did was dismissing the case filed by former Gov Bello Matawalle, following his decision to withdraw the case after series of advice and consultations with family, friends, political associates and supporters.”

A press statement from the office of the governor had said, “A Federal High Court in Sokoto dismissed a suit filed by former governor Bello Matawalle over ownership of 50 vehicles.”

“If the case was not about ownership of those vehicles, how come the court will make an order for retrieval.

“The case was all about the enforcement of fundamental rights of Bello Matawalle and his family after the police invaded his houses to ‘illegally’ remove vehicles belonging to him and his family members.

“The court did not order retrieval of the vehicles, but simply dismissed the case filed by the former governor. Well, it isn’t surprising, considering the type of government we now have in the state, where administrative contractors were hired from outside the state with no knowledge of our state politics and culture to administer the government for the governor, while he engages in his private business outside the country, leaving the people of the state at the mercy of bandits,” he said.