Hundreds of frustrated women and youths from Zamfara State rallied against the escalating security crisis in their state at the Department of State Services headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.
The protesters, visibly disturbed, attributed the surge in banditry to former Zamfara Governor and current Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, accusing him of fostering alliances with criminal elements during his tenure.
Arriving at the DSS headquarters at approximately 10:15 a.m. in a convoy of around 12 buses, the demonstrators were denied entry to the premises but remained resolute, waving placards with messages such as “We are dying” and “DSS, save us from bandits.”
They implored the DSS Director-General, Adeola Ajayi, to take decisive action.
The protest unfolded only a month after the Zamfara chapter of the All Progressives Congress appealed to the Federal Government to impose a state of emergency, arguing that drastic measures are necessary to confront banditry in the region effectively.
Addressing the media, the demonstrators’ spokesperson and Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Akida Forum, Mallam Musa Mahmud, voiced deep disappointment in President Bola Tinubu’s decision to retain Matawalle in his ministerial role.
He cited the “evidence” provided by Zamfara’s current Governor, Dauda Lawal, urging that Matawalle should be investigated rather than protected due to his political connections.
Mahmud asserted, “The issues here are not just political problems. They are matters of life and death, economic survival, and the fundamental human rights of the citizens of Zamfara State that should not be handled lightly.”
He pressed further, calling on the DSS to launch a comprehensive investigation to safeguard citizens and preserve the integrity of both the President and Nigeria’s intelligence community.
“The agency is in the best position to advise President Tinubu to relieve Matawalle of his position, to face an investigative panel and clarify his connections with dangerous individuals like Bello Tagoji, Musa Kamarawa, and Ardon Zuru,” Mahmud said.
“These are not abstract concerns. Zamfara citizens have the right to live free from the constant threat of banditry and violence. These issues should be at the forefront of any reasonable Nigerian who means well for the country.”
Despite attempts to contact Matawalle’s media aide, Ahmad Dan-Wudil, no response was received by the time of publication.
The silence has only fueled the determination of Zamfara’s citizens, who insist that their plight demands immediate and uncompromising attention from both federal and state authorities.
