Matawalle Sues Journalists Over Alleged Defamation, Seeks N60bn in Damages

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has filed a lawsuit against two prominent northern journalists, Shu’aibu Mungadi and Tijjani Ramalan, for defamation, alleging that their reports falsely implicated him as a sponsor of bandits.

The lawsuit, filed at the Kano State High Court, demands a staggering N60 billion in damages.

The suit, dated October 25, 2024, accuses the journalists of making malicious and defamatory statements on their respective media platforms, which include Vision FM, Farin Wata Television, and Liberty Radio.

Matawalle contends that since January 2024, the two journalists, along with their employers, have repeatedly aired damaging reports that painted him as being involved in banditry and kidnappings in the North-West region, including his home state of Zamfara.

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In the affidavit supporting the motion for interlocutory injunction, Matawalle’s personal assistant, Alhaji Masudu Abdulkadir, stated that the reports have caused irreparable harm to the minister’s reputation and character.

The affidavit further notes that the broadcasts, which reached a wide audience across the North-West, falsely depicted Matawalle as a key figure behind the growing insecurity in the region.

“The false reports have painted the plaintiff as a sponsor of banditry, a label that has severely tarnished his public image,” Abdulkadir said. “During his tenure as governor of Zamfara State, the plaintiff worked tirelessly to combat insecurity in the region. The allegations being spread by the defendants are false, libelous, and damaging to his reputation.”

Matawalle is seeking an injunction to prevent further defamatory statements from being broadcast or published by the defendants. The lawsuit also calls for a public apology and a retraction of the damaging claims, which would be published in two major newspapers, both local and national.

In addition to the damages, Matawalle has requested that the court order the defendants to cease airing or publishing any further allegations related to his involvement in banditry, pending the outcome of the case.

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The former governor has repeatedly denied any links to bandit groups, despite calls from various political groups, including the Akida Forum within the All Progressives Congress (APC), for an independent investigation into his role in the ongoing insecurity in the North-West.

Matawalle’s legal action comes on the heels of similar allegations by the Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, who had also called for Matawalle’s resignation and reported the minister to President Tinubu and the National Security Adviser for further scrutiny.

The case has been adjourned to December 12, 2024, for further hearings.

Matawalle’s legal team has expressed confidence in securing a favorable outcome, emphasizing that the defamation has caused undue harm to their client’s personal and professional life.