Report any jobless person spending lavishly – Defence Minister

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammad Matawalle, has called on the residents of Sokoto State to report any unemployed individual living extravagantly to security agents.

Speaking at the Sokoto State Governor’s office, Matawalle expressed concerns that such individuals might be serving as informants for the bandits responsible for the state’s ongoing security challenges.

The Minister, who visited Sokoto alongside the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, was acting under the directives of President Bola Tinubu to address the growing banditry in Nigeria’s North West region.

He emphasized the importance of community cooperation with security forces, stating that the success of military operations against bandits heavily relies on the information provided by local residents.

“Like what we did while I was the governor of Zamfara State, I call on the people of Sokoto State to always provide information to the security agents,” Matawalle urged.

“If you see someone who isn’t employed but is frequently changing cars and spending money lavishly, please do not hesitate to report such a person.

“They may be informants for bandits. We are here to crush the bad elements in our midst, and by the special grace of God, we will succeed.”

In a related development, Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State has urged politicians to refrain from politicizing the issue of insecurity.

The governor made the appeal while hosting the Minister of State for Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff, emphasizing the need for unity in tackling the security challenges facing the state.