Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has strongly denied allegations that he appointed Bashir Hadejia, a suspected terrorist and gunrunner, as a Special Adviser in his administration.
The controversy arose after Hadejia was arrested for alleged treason and subversion, and a letter dated October 27, 2023, began circulating online, purportedly showing his appointment.
During an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Governor Lawal dismissed the letter as a fake, emphasizing, “Let me make a categorical statement here. I did not appoint Hadejia as a Special Adviser.”
He further challenged the authenticity of the letter, noting discrepancies in the letterhead and date. “If you look at the letter heading itself with the date, something is fishy somewhere. We issued a statement that we had nothing to do with that; that was a forged letter,” Lawal said.
The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability, stating, “Whenever I appoint advisers, I usually tell the media that I have appointed X, Y, Z in different positions. I challenge anybody to show me where we made that kind of statement.”
In addition to denying the appointment, Governor Lawal spoke about the improved security situation in Zamfara State, attributing the progress to the efforts of the state government, in collaboration with the National Security Adviser and the Ministry of Defence. He acknowledged that while the security challenges have persisted for over a decade, significant improvements have been made, allowing many farmers to return to their fields.
