Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Office of the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, has issued a firm denial of allegations that the minister attempted to bribe a United States official to influence narratives surrounding a report on insecurity in Nigeria. In a press statement released on Wednesday, the ministry described the claims, reportedly attributed to a member of the Florida House of Representatives, as entirely false, unfounded, and devoid of credibility. The statement, signed by Ahmad Dan-Wudil, Personal Assistant on Media to the Minister, said Matawalle has never engaged in nor would he ever condone any act of bribery or misconduct. “The allegations in question are nothing but baseless, misleading and do not reflect the conduct or record of the Honourable Minister,” the statement read. The denial comes days after Florida lawmaker Kimberly Daniels alleged during a Facebook live broadcast that Matawalle had attempted to bribe a US elected official to change the narrative of a report on what she described as Christian genocide in Nigeria.
The controversy began on April 14, 2026, when Daniels, who chairs the United World Congress of Diplomats (UN-WCD), released a report raising urgent concerns over escalating violence in Nigeria’s North Central and North West regions. The report 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. Daniels later alleged on April 20 that a US elected official was offered money by the Nigerian minister to change the report’s findings. She claimed that the unnamed official was approached with a prepared statement and promotional material to publicly defend Nigeria’s defence leadership. The allegations went viral on social media, prompting the minister’s office to respond with the categorical denial issued on Wednesday.
In its statement, the ministry did not directly address the specific evidence or claims made by Daniels but instead dismissed the entire episode as a “campaign of lies and calumny.” The statement stressed that Matawalle remains resolute and undeterred, and will not be distracted by malicious propaganda. “Instead, he continues to focus on his responsibilities, discharging his duties with diligence, integrity, and a strong commitment to national service,” the statement added. The ministry advised the public to disregard the misleading reports and unsubstantiated claims. The denial, however, did not indicate whether the minister intends to take any legal action against Daniels or the platforms that published the allegations. It also did not provide any counter-evidence or documentation to support the denial beyond the minister’s assertion of his integrity.
The bribery allegation has added a diplomatic dimension to the already fraught relationship between the Nigerian government and international observers who have criticised the country’s handling of insecurity. Daniels, who also serves as a minister of the gospel, has previously called for Matawalle’s removal, describing the violence in Nigeria as a genocide that demands urgent international intervention. She has forwarded the UN-WCD report to US officials, including Senator Marco Rubio, calling for further scrutiny. Her allegations have been embraced by some civil society groups in Nigeria who have long demanded a probe into Matawalle’s past as governor of Zamfara, where he was accused of negotiating with bandits and allegedly providing them with cash and motorcycles. Matawalle has consistently denied those allegations, and the Nigerian government has dismissed them as part of a political witch-hunt.
The timing of the controversy is particularly sensitive for the Tinubu administration, which has been promoting a “Renewed Hope” agenda to international investors and partners. An allegation of bribery against a senior defence official, if proven, could damage Nigeria’s standing and complicate cooperation on counterterrorism and intelligence sharing. The US government has not officially commented on Daniels’ allegations, and it remains unclear whether any formal investigation has been initiated. The lack of an official response from Washington has left the matter in a state of ambiguity, with both sides presenting starkly contradictory narratives.
In Nigeria, reactions to the denial have been predictably split along political lines. Supporters of the minister have hailed the statement as a necessary defence of an innocent man being targeted by a foreign actor with an agenda. They argue that Daniels has no firsthand knowledge of events in Nigeria and that her report relied on unverified sources. Critics, however, have noted that the minister’s denial was unusually short on specifics and did not address the core of Daniels’ claim that a US official was approached. They have called for an independent investigation by the Nigerian government to clear the minister’s name once and for all. The National Human Rights Commission has not yet commented on the matter.
The bribery allegation is the latest in a series of controversies that have dogged Matawalle since his appointment as Minister of State for Defence in 2023. Before that, as governor of Zamfara State from 2019 to 2023, he was accused by multiple local and international organisations of paying off bandit leaders to reduce attacks in the state, a strategy that critics say only emboldened the criminals. Matawalle defended the approach as a form of negotiation and rehabilitation, but the policy was widely criticised after attacks resumed with ferocity following his departure from office. His performance as defence minister has also been questioned, with some analysts pointing to the continued high levels of banditry and kidnapping in the North West as evidence of policy failure.
As the political and diplomatic fallout continues, the minister’s office has made it clear that it will not engage in a protracted public debate with Daniels. “The Honourable Minister remains resolute and undeterred,” the statement concluded. For now, the bribery allegation remains unproven and officially denied. Whether the issue will escalate into a formal diplomatic complaint or fade from public attention depends on whether Daniels provides further evidence to back her claim or whether the Nigerian government decides to launch its own inquiry. The public is left to weigh the credibility of a foreign lawmaker against the word of a sitting Nigerian minister. In the absence of independent verification, the truth remains elusive.
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