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- urges Tinubu to support him
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has dismissed allegations linking the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to banditry, describing the allegations as baseless and politically motivated.
The student body averred that Matawalle was being unfairly targeted at a time the country needed unity to tackle worsening insecurity.
NANS in a statement on Friday by its Senate President, Comrade Usman Adamu Nagwaza, said the allegations were part of a deliberate campaign to politicise national security for selfish interests.
While passing vote of confidence on Matawalle, NANS said: “We have it on good notes that he is merely a target of media blackmail and political persecution.
“NANS as an organization does not represent such barbarism. We are mainly concerned about Nigeria as a nation and the citizens therein, especially the students,” Nagwaza said.
The student body said the allegations against Matawale which includes claims of maintaining contact with notorious terrorist commanders and providing them with support, lacked no evidence, disclosing that independent investigators, NANS and journalists have found the accusations to be baseless, unfounded and politically motivated.
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Nagwaza called on the President to declare a state of emergency on insecurity and further empower the armed forces to intensify operations against criminal elements.
“To this end, we therefore urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to give Minister Matawale the necessary support as he faces investigation into the allegations and protect him from campaigns of calumny from charlatans who means no good for country.
“We call on all Nigerians to join in supporting the defense ministry and especially, Minister Bello Matawale and rejecting the politics of character assassination.
“We strongly believe that Matawale is a dedicated public servant who has the best interests of the country at heart and at this critical moment, we cannot afford to, as a country lose our best hands in the name of politics,” the statement added.
