Human rights activist, columnist and legal practitioner Alhaji Abubakar Tsafe has dismissed allegations linking the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, to a plot to assassinate Zamfara North senatorial aspirant Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi.
In a personally signed statement, Abubakar described the reports as spurious, fabricated and defamatory.
“These allegations are not only baseless and indecent but also a clear attempt to drag politics into dangerous territory. No serious-minded person should dignify such claims, which are nothing more than falsehoods designed to mislead the public,” he said.
Abubakar said Shinkafi should focus on building grassroots support rather than resorting to “tantrums, vituperative criticisms, and fabricated stories.” He described the publication as a “shameless concoction, a tissue of lies stitched together by a serial purveyor of political gossip whose relevance thrives only on distortion and cheap propaganda.”
He said, “The Matawalle I know is a gentleman who values the sanctity of life. He has never been involved in any discussion, meeting, or plan bordering on violence, assassination, or unlawful acts.”
The activist condemned the claims circulating online and in mainstream media as malicious and deliberately crafted to tarnish Matawalle’s reputation. He portrayed the minister as a peace-loving, law-abiding leader who served Zamfara State as governor and now serves the nation with integrity, upholding the rule of law and peaceful coexistence.
Abubakar urged the public to disregard the reports and said he would approach the courts to hold Shinkafi accountable for defamation, noting that “the law is no respecter of persons.”
The statement reaffirmed Matawalle’s commitment to peace, justice and stability in Zamfara State, and said he would not be distracted by attempts to malign his character.
