Matawalle denies involvement in arrest of opposition members

Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara says he has no hand in any arrest of members of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, urging them to stop blaming him for their travails.

Matawalle made the remarks in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Zailani Bappa, and made available to journalists in Gusau on Tuesday.

It was reported that about six APC chieftains were recently arrested and charged to different courts in Gusau on different charges such as defamation of character and incitement of the public against the PDP led government in the state.

In reaction to the development, the state APC Chairman, Alhaji Lawal Liman, alleged that the arrests were politically motivated to harass and intimidate members and supporters of his party.

But the governor said in the statement that, “anyone who finds himself in collusion course with the law should courageously face his travails with the law of the land and desist from blaming the office of the Governor”.

“The Police and, indeed, all other Security operatives are not my property, nor are they working for my personal interest but for the well being of Zamfara and Nigeria,” he said.

He said that after the attainment of peace in the state, some enemies of the state and Nigeria had indulged in making inflammatory statements and sometimes actions aimed at “reversing the hands of the clock.”

“Those arrested and taken to court, willingly broke the law and are apprehended by the law, not by Gov. Matawalle. They should be courageous enough to own up to their mischief and defend themselves before the law,” the governor said.