A group known as Arewa Concerned Citizens has called on the family of Bashir Hadeija to direct their concerns to the police and the courts, rather than making unsubstantiated allegations against the Minister of State for Defence, Hon. Bello Matawalle.
In August, Bashir Hadeija was arrested by the Nigerian police following intelligence reports that he was involved in smuggling a significant cache of weapons and large quantities of gold, believed to have been stolen from the Central Bank of Libya.
On Wednesday, Bashir Hadeija’s family raised an alarm, claiming that his incarceration in Abuja, which began on Monday, was ordered by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle.
Responding to these allegations on Thursday, the National Secretary of the Arewa Concerned Citizens, Muhammed Mustapha, clarified that law enforcement and prosecutions fall under the jurisdiction of the police, led by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), not the Ministry of Defence.
Mustapha emphasized that the case involving Bashir Hadeija is under police authority, and any claims that the Minister of State for Defence had influenced the arrest or prosecution are misguided.
“First and foremost, Hon. Matawalle is not the Minister of Police Affairs and holds no direct authority over police actions,” Mustapha stated.
The family of Bashir Hadeija had earlier alleged that the IGP acted on Matawalle’s directives when arresting Hadeija without a warrant or formal charges. However, Mustapha questioned the plausibility of this claim, asking: “Is it reasonable to believe that the Minister of State for Defence, who has no jurisdiction over the police, could instruct the IGP in such a matter?”
He further explained that the police operate independently under the Ministry of Police Affairs and are responsible for investigating and prosecuting criminal cases.
“It is concerning to see the ease with which people in our society resort to baseless accusations. Hon. Matawalle, like any public servant, should be judged based on facts, not on unsubstantiated claims or attempts at character assassination,” Mustapha added.
“The Hadeija family should focus their grievances on the appropriate authorities, namely the police and the courts, rather than targeting Hon. Matawalle with baseless accusations,” he urged.
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