By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna A senatorial aspirant for the Zamfara North Senatorial District, Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has accused ...
By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
A senatorial aspirant for the Zamfara North Senatorial District, Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has accused the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, of allegedly plotting to assassinate him.
Addressing journalists at his residence in Gusau on Monday, Shinkafi alleged that the minister had on several occasions sent people to kill him, but the attempts were unsuccessful.
“Matawalle has been trying to eliminate me for political reasons,” Shinkafi alleged.
According to him, the first alleged attempt occurred in Gusau during wedding prayers at Rabi’a Jumu’at Mosque, where he claimed heavily armed men attacked him before people around intervened.
“The first time was in Gusau during wedding prayers at Rabi’a Jumu’at Mosque, where some heavily armed men descended on me in an attempt to kill me, if not for the quick intervention of people around,” he said.
Shinkafi further alleged that a second attempt took place at his residence in Abuja, where he claimed a woman was apprehended with a weapon and later confessed to being sent to kill him.
“The second time was at my house in Abuja, where a woman was caught with a weapon and allegedly confessed that she was sent by the minister to kill me,” he said.
He questioned why Matawalle allegedly wanted him dead despite the support he claimed to have rendered during the minister’s 2023 re-election bid.
“I don’t know why this man does not want me alive after all the support I gave him when he was seeking a second term in 2023,” Shinkafi added.
The APC chieftain also alleged that Matawalle petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusing him of receiving government funds through his company without executing any project.
“In the petition, he alleged that I collected money from the government during his tenure through my company without executing any project,” Shinkafi said.
He further claimed that the minister accused him of sponsoring terrorists in an attempt to tarnish his image.
“He also alleged that I was sponsoring terrorists just to tarnish my image, but the people of Zamfara State and Nigerians generally know the role I have played in fighting banditry,” he stated.
Shinkafi, however, maintained that the money he allegedly received from the government during Matawalle’s tenure was meant for the former governor’s re-election campaign and was used for that purpose.
According to him, the minister became more aggrieved after he purchased the APC senatorial nomination form and refused to step down for a consensus arrangement.
“He is unhappy that I purchased the nomination form for the senatorial primary election and refused to step down for anybody,” he said.
Shinkafi called on his family members, friends, and political associates to hold Matawalle responsible should anything happen to him.
“I am calling on my family, friends, and political associates to note that if I am killed or abducted at this time, they should hold nobody responsible except Matawalle,” he alleged.
“He should be held responsible if anything happens to me,” he added.
Efforts to reach the minister for comment were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to several phone calls.
However, his former Director-General of Media and Publicity, Yusuf Idris, dismissed the allegations, describing them as false and baseless.
Idris said Shinkafi had failed to provide evidence to substantiate the allegations against the minister.
“All the allegations are baseless and untrue,” Idris said. “Dr. Shinkafi is only trying to tarnish the good image of the minister.”
“Let me tell you, the minister is not even aware of all these claims coming from Dr. Shinkafi,” he added.
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