Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A diplomatic row is brewing between Nigeria and the United States after a Florida lawmaker publicly accused Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, of attempting to bribe an American official to suppress an international report on the targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Kimberly Daniels, a Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives and Chairwoman of the United World Congress of Diplomats (UN-WCD), made the explosive allegation in a viral Facebook live broadcast on Monday, insisting that no amount of pressure or financial inducement would silence her. “A US elected official was offered money by Nigeria’s minister of state for defense, Bello Matawalle, to change the narrative of the UN-WCD Christian genocide in Nigeria report,” Daniels said. She claimed the alleged bribe was part of a coordinated effort to discredit her organisation’s findings, which describe the violence in Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, and Nasarawa states as a “coordinated pattern of attacks” rather than random insecurity. Daniels also alleged that an unnamed American lawmaker was approached with a prepared statement and promotional material to publicly defend Nigeria’s defence leadership. “We will not be silenced. We will not be intimidated,” she declared. “The truth about what is happening to Christians in Nigeria must be told.”
The controversy follows a UN-WCD report released by Daniels on April 14, 2026, which raised urgent concerns over escalating violence in Nigeria’s North Central and North West regions during the Easter period. The report highlighted what it described as a widening gap between official government assurances and the grim realities faced by affected communities, including mass displacements and a lack of effective state protection. It directly questioned the continued leadership of the defence ministry under Matawalle, citing “credibility and integrity concerns” and past allegations linking him to banditry during his tenure as governor of Zamfara State. The report recommended that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu consider the minister’s redeployment alongside a transparent investigation into the claims. Daniels, who also serves as a minister of the gospel, has previously called for Matawalle’s removal, describing the violence as a genocide that demands urgent international intervention.
Matawalle, a former governor of Zamfara State who was appointed Minister of State for Defence in 2023, has yet to issue an official response to the bribery allegations. His office has remained silent since the video went viral, and the Nigerian government has not released any formal statement confirming or denying the claims. However, past government statements have consistently rejected the narrative of religiously targeted killings, maintaining that Nigeria’s security challenges are complex and driven by a mix of insurgency, banditry, and farmer-herder conflicts rather than solely religious persecution. Analysts have cautioned that the allegations, if verified, could severely damage Nigeria’s diplomatic standing with the United States, particularly as the Tinubu administration promotes its “Renewed Hope” agenda to international investors. The lack of an official response has fuelled speculation and intensified global scrutiny of Nigeria’s internal security architecture.
Reactions within Nigeria have been sharply divided. A coalition of northern-based groups, including the Nigerian Muslim Congress and Northern Elders Political Development Group, has rejected Daniels’ call for Matawalle’s redeployment, describing it as “inappropriate” and a violation of Nigeria’s sovereignty. In a joint statement signed by Dr Abdullahi Usman and Hon Yusuf Abubakar, the coalition argued that decisions concerning Nigeria’s security remain the exclusive prerogative of the federal government and that external assessments often lack the operational context of the ground reality. “We find the call for the redeployment of the Hon Minister of State for Defence both inappropriate and troubling, as it raises serious concerns about external interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation,” the groups said. They further argued that Matawalle’s background as a former governor of Zamfara gives him a strategic advantage in addressing the complexities of banditry in the North-West and that singling him out for systemic challenges is unfair and irresponsible.
Conversely, civil society organisations and human rights advocates have urged President Tinubu to take the allegations seriously and launch an immediate, transparent investigation. The National Coalition Against Terrorism called on the president to act on Daniels’ recommendation, warning that failure to address the claims could erode public confidence and weaken international cooperation in the fight against terrorism. The coalition also pointed to previous reports linking Matawalle to bandit leaders during his time as governor, allegations that have been repeatedly denied by the minister and his aides. Marvin Ibe, convener of the coalition, backed the UN-WCD assessment, noting that the voices of affected communities must not be dismissed as mere political propaganda. “The international community is watching,” Ibe said. “Nigeria cannot afford to ignore these allegations if it hopes to maintain its partnerships on security and counterterrorism.”
As the controversy deepens, the United States government has yet to announce any formal investigation into the bribery claims. Daniels, however, has confirmed that the UN-WCD report has been forwarded to US officials, including Senator Marco Rubio, calling for further scrutiny. She has repeatedly emphasised that her intervention is not an attack on Nigeria but a humanitarian call for investigation and accountability. “I am not here to fight Nigeria or its government,” she said. “All I want is for these allegations to be investigated and for the killings to stop.” The coming weeks will be critical in determining whether the Tinubu administration will respond to the allegations, launch an internal probe, or continue its silence. For now, the defence ministry remains under a cloud of international suspicion, and the families of those killed in the Middle Belt continue to wait for justice that has long eluded them.
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