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August 19, 2024
The Hadejia story has been all over social media recently, but the Nigerian government remains silent.
The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the arrest of Alhaji Bashir Hadejia, a former aide to Bello Matawalle, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence.
Hadejia, who was a special adviser during Matawalle's tenure as Governor of Zamfara State, was apprehended last Monday on multiple charges, including treason, subversive activities, gun-running, and transnational crimes.
The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi confirmed his arrest to The Nation on Sunday.
Adejobi said: “Security operatives have arrested him and I can tell you categorically that he is still undergoing serious interrogation.
“I cannot tell you more than that. A lot of issues will be cleared. That is what I can say.”
The Hadejia story has been all over social media recently, but the Nigerian government remains silent.
Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that the arrest was carried out in a joint operation by the police and the Department of State Services (DSS).
The former Director of Strategy and Communications to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Jackson Ude, earlier said the arrest was prompted by intelligence reports indicating Hadejia's involvement in smuggling large quantities of weapons and gold bars, reportedly stolen from the Central Bank of Libya.
According to Ude, in August 2020, then Governor Matawalle, accompanied by his aide, Hadejia, went to Aso Rock and presented then President Muhammadu Buhari with gold bars mined from Zamfara State as part of the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative (PAGMI).