‘This Is Robbery’- Matawale Reacts To Police Raid Of Residence

The former governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, has blasted his successor, Governor Daura Lawal over the Friday raid on his residence.

Operatives of the state’s police command had invaded Matawalle’s country home on Friday in search of alleged looted public properties.

The officers reportedly acting on a court order, recovered 40 vehicles from Matawalle’s residence located in the Maradun area of the state.

Reacting to the incident, Matawale said he was astounded at the “stupidity” of the new administration to have raided his residences, in Gusua, the state capital, and his country home.

He said, “I have never seen this kind of stupidity where someone’s house will just be entered without any permission as if we are in a lawless country.

“I am in Abuja and nobody told me that any court gave that order or invite me and I refused to answer.

“The saddest thing is that, in my Gusau house, all my wives’ rooms were broken, even hijabs have been taken away. Stoves were all put in a car and taken away.

“In my Maradun house, they took away all campaign cars that people gave us as contributions, including those I bought in United States even before becoming governor, you know I was a car seller.

“This is robbery, they entered everywhere in my house, even my daughter’s wedding clothing materials (Kayan Lefe) were not spared.”

Matawalle mocked the new administration for chasing shadows and creating more crises rather than tackling issues ravaging the state.

“He knows I have my people and they will not fold their hands”, adding, “I will not ask them to bring the cars back, everybody knows that I have cars,” he said.

The All Progressive Congress (APC) had also reacted to the situation describing the raid as an “unlawful, barbaric, and brutal trespass” by the state governor.

“The unlawful invasion is a gross violation of the sacred provisions of sections 34, 35, 37, 41, 42, and 43 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“What exactly might have warranted the invasion still remains a mystery to the good people of Zamfara state. If the government thinks it has any case against the former Governor, why not charge him to court instead of resorting to such barbaric and uncivilized means?,” the APC said in a statement on Friday.

The Zamfara government had accused Matawalle of looting public properties from the government house including vehicles purchased with billions of naira.

Governor Lawal said he had notified his predecessor and also issued an ultimatum for him to return the public assets in his custody, but all were ignored.