By ISHAQ ZAKI

The Zamfara chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has denied the alleged harassment of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Zamfara Government in a statement issued by the spokesperson to Gov. Dauda Lawal, Sulaiman Idris on Wednesday, accused Matawalle, and Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), of illegally arresting one Saleem Abubakar, a Technical Assistant in the office of the Zamfara Governor.

However, in a statement issued in Gusau, on Thursday, the State APC Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Idris described the allegations as “lies and envy against Matawalle by Gov Dauda Lawal.”

The statement reads in part: “The State APC chapter has come across a press statement credited to Suleiman Bala Idris, spokesman to the state governor, Dauda Lawal and released on 07/01/2026.

“It alleged that the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Mohammed Matawalle illegally arrested one Saleem Abubakar, a technical assistant in the office of the governor.

“It will always baffle the Nigerian community that anything that negatively touches the Zamfara State government is immediately and directly linked to the Minister, either directly by the governor or by his cronies.

“The writer stated that Saleem was arrested by a Special Forces Unit under the Office of the National Security Adviser,

“That alone should have rested the matter or any interested party can go to the NSA’s office to find out on further details leading to the arrest.”

According to APC, the spokesperson, however, in his ignorance does not know that any arrest coordinated from the office of the NSA borders on serious national security, does not require warrant and will be subjected to investigations.

The statement added, “But he crookedly and craftily avoided mentioning that the suspect is alleged to have links to terrorism and cyber crime which are serious offences.”

According to the statement, the state APC chapter, has always accused the PDP-led government in Zamfara of a standing partnership with bandits, some of whom have been arrested by the security agents.

It added, “So, for the government to immediately come out in defence and protection of a suspect like Saleem, it further confirms our charges.

“We wish to formally and strongly commend the security personnel for the arrest and urge them to seriously investigate him to possibly lead to further arrests which they may be trying to avoid.

“As for the Honourable Minister, who was out of the country, on national assignment when the arrest and accusations against him were made, he cannot be distracted by a miniature, like the governor’s spokesman and couldn’t have gone so low to ‘syndicate’ the arrest of a technical assistant.

“The security agents may, however, have discovered high profile security threats linked to the arrested person and it is their duty to unfathom.

“The word ‘abduction’ by Suleiman is also careless, implicating, callous and can cause him serious problems, because the security either arrest or invite persons because they have no reason to abduct anymore.

“We commend the NSA office and the Ministry of Defence and other security outfits in the country for the proactive measures they are taking in the country which in turn will make Nigeria secured and free from any threat from the people of the underworld,” Idris added. (NAN)

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