Anti-terror coalition backs US Congresswoman, demands Matawalle’s ouster

A number of civil society groups under the aegis of National Coalition Against Terrorism, has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately sack or redeploy the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, aligning itself with a security assessment report by United States Congresswoman Kimberly Daniels that raised concerns about Nigeria’s defence leadership.

The coalition’s National Coordinator, Marvin Ibe, made the call at a news conference on Friday.

At the heart of the coalition’s demands is a security assessment report by Representative Kimberly Daniels, Chairwoman of the United World Congress of Diplomats (UN-WCD) and Chairperson of Africa Affairs in the US Parliament, who has been described as a prominent campaigner against religious extremism in Africa.

The report, which was reportedly copied to the US Secretary of State, assessed Nigeria’s security situation and recommended the immediate redeployment or removal of Minister Matawalle from the Defence Ministry, citing the need to restore confidence in Nigeria’s war against terrorism.

The coalition pointed to videos of former aides who had reportedly testified to his payment of ransoms to bandits.

The group argued that Matawalle lacks both public confidence and the prerequisite experience required to manage Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence.

Quoting Congresswoman Daniels, the coalition stressed that “the greatest form of terrorism is the homegrown familiar enemy — when the people you trust to protect you work undercover with those who want to harm you.”

“We totally align ourselves with the position of Kimberly Daniels and call for the immediate sack or redeployment of Bello Matawalle from the Ministry of Defence,” Ibe declared.

The coalition also called on President Tinubu to take decisive action, including tracking and prosecuting terrorism financiers and overhauling defence leadership before, in their words, “the country is overrun by enemies within.”
“Mr President must wake up to this call and do the needful,” Ibe urged, adding that at minimum, redeployment of Matawalle to another ministry should be the President’s immediate consideration.