Arewa Group Defends Matawalle, Slams Coalition

A northern socio-political group, the Arewa Joint Initiative for Peace (AJIP), has risen in defence of the minister of state for Defence, Mohammed Bello Matawalle.

The group condemned what it described as a politically motivated smear campaign against him by the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) and other “unpatriotic elements.”

Addressing a press conference in Kaduna yesterday, AJIP spokesperson, Aminu Abbas Arabi, said the recent attacks on Matawalle by the CNG amounted to misinformation, character assassination and a disservice to the people of Northern Nigeria.

According to Arabi, the group’s position and “indecision,” as he put it, aligns it with forces bent on destabilisation rather than progress and peace in the region.

He highlighted Matawalle’s track record, citing his decisive actions against banditry and insurgency, security reform initiatives and sustained engagement with local communities, which he said have contributed to improved safety in many parts of the North.

“To attack him is to attack the very foundation of peace we so desperately need,” Arabi declared.

The group also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remain vigilant against what it described as the “machinations of political merchants,” warning that the agenda of the CNG was self-serving and capable of undermining the security gains recorded under the current administration.

AJIP further accused the CNG of sowing division and discord at a time when unity was required to tackle the region’s challenges, including banditry, insurgency and socio-economic instability.

“The challenges we face demand a united front, not fragmented factions that undermine one another,” Arabi said.

Reaffirming its unwavering support for Matawalle, the group stressed that his leadership at the Ministry of Defence was crucial to ongoing efforts to restore order and security across the country.

AJIP urged political leaders, civil society organisations and citizens to unite in the pursuit of a peaceful and prosperous Northern Nigeria and to reject what it described as the divisive tactics of the CNG.

The defence of Matawalle followed recent statements by the Coalition of Northern Groups, which expressed concern over what it termed disturbing revelations from the confessional statements attributed to Musa Muhammad Kamarawa, a former aide to the Minister of State for Defence.

Recall that in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, the CNG claimed the allegations raised serious moral and security concerns, including claims of financial transfers to a notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, procurement of vehicles and provision of logistics and other assets to criminal groups.

The CNG argued that the allegations, if proven, went beyond political controversy and raised questions about possible high-level complicity in the criminal networks fuelling insecurity in Northern Nigeria.