The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has pushed back strongly against allegations that the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, is behind the harassment of opposition figures in the state.
In a released statement, the party described the accusations as politically motivated and misleading, arguing that they were designed to create unnecessary tension and shift public attention from governance issues.
The controversy followed claims by the Zamfara State Government that Saleem Abubakar, a technical aide to Governor Dauda Lawal, was unlawfully arrested on the orders of the Defence Minister.
However, the APC said the state government’s own account undermined its narrative.
According to the party, the governor’s spokesperson admitted that the arrest was carried out by a Special Forces unit operating under the Office of the National Security Adviser.
“This is not a matter of state politics,” the APC said.
“Once the NSA’s office is involved, it becomes a national security issue driven by intelligence, not by partisan interests.”
The party stressed that operations linked to the NSA are typically based on sensitive security information and often proceed without public fanfare, especially when serious threats are being investigated.
Moreover, the APC accused the state government of withholding critical details from the public.
It claimed that the arrested aide is being investigated over alleged links to terrorism financing and cyber-related crimes.
“These are grave allegations that no responsible security agency would ignore,” the party noted, adding that such cases require discretion and thorough investigation.
Addressing claims that Matawalle orchestrated the arrest, the APC said the allegations were illogical, insisting that the minister was outside the country on an official national assignment at the time.
“It is impossible to link the minister to an operation he could not have supervised or influenced,” the statement said.
The party also criticised the governor’s spokesperson for describing the incident as an “abduction,” warning that such language was reckless and could mislead the public.
“Security agencies arrest or invite suspects; they do not abduct,” the APC said, cautioning that careless words could have legal and security implications.
The APC urged political actors in Zamfara to exercise restraint and avoid politicising security matters, insisting that national safety should never be sacrificed for partisan advantage.