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Shock As Videos, Photos Link Gunrunner To Government Officials
The arrest of Alhaji Bashir Hadejia, a former aide to the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, by security operatives has sparked outrage.
Some Nigerians, who reacted to the development, demanded answers from the authorities after videos and photos indicated that the suspect was connected to top government functionaries and politicians.
Hadejia, who was a special adviser to Matawalle when he was the Governor of Zamfara State, was arrested on Monday.
A search warrant issued to the Nigeria Police Force, FCT Police Command, dated August 12, 2024, showed that the suspect was accused of “treason and subversion against the state”.
Shortly after his arrest became public, photos and videos of the suspect with prominent politicians and celebrities emerged on social media.
Gold bar merchant
A particular video clip seen by Saturday PUNCH on X (formerly Twitter) showed Hadejia displaying what appeared to be a gold bar with the image of a former Libyan leader, Muammar Ghadaffi.
In the 14-second video, he was heard saying, “One tonne, total 24 carats, 1kg. In each box we have 50kg; in total we have one tonne.”
There were about 13 boxes filled with the gold bars on the table. The boxes were labelled, “Central Bank of Libya”.
In a photo that has been trending since the arrest was made public, Hadejia accompanied Matawalle to present some gold bars to the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari, in 2020.
Bashir Ahmad, an aide to Buhari, also shared photos showing Hadejia appearing to assist Matawalle in presenting the gold to the president.
The post read, “President Muhammadu Buhari last night at his residence, the State House, Abuja, received Governor of Zamfara State, Dr. Bello Matawalle accompanied by Alhaji Bashir Hadejia. Gov. Matawalle was at the State House to present some gold bars and other precious stones mined in his State. Describe the visuals.”
He was also seen in another picture having a handshake with President Bola Tinubu.
The villa boy
Saturday PUNCH gathered that Hadejia was nicknamed ‘Villa boy’ because of his close connection to the Villa.
In pictures seen online, Hadejia was standing side-by-side with the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru.
He was also seen in several photos facilitating a meeting between the Arewa Consultative Forum and northern politicians with President Tinubu.
A popular Nigerian Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Kwam 1 in his Timeless album dedicated a track to extol Hadejia.
In the track, KI described Hadejia as his friend and that of former governor of Jigawa and now Minister of Defence, Badaru.
“I am going to the North, from Jigawa to Abuja. I am going there to see a distinguished personality, Alhaji Bashir Hadejia is the husband of Aisha, the child of Mohammed Ali, a very big man. He is K1 de ultimate’s friend. He is an ally of Jigawa State calculator, friend to governor Badaru,” Ayinde sang.
Tweeps query Matawalle’s connection
Reacting to the arrest, a tweep, Alade Ayeniromo, wondered why security operatives were not giving the public adequate information on the arrest.
He wrote, “Why is Bashir Hadeija so confidential? Why can’t we have access to the full story, there’s no time names of terrorist financiers have been fully published and they get punished. Omor, Vagabond movie explain so many things around political environment.”
Another X user, A.Y. Rafindadi, said if the arrest had taken place outside the country, there would have been follow-up arrests and confessions.
“In a sane country, Bashir Hadeija’s arrest may just be one of the biggest arrests of the decade. Given how connected he is to past and serving government officials, the likes of Bello Matawalle, who employed him some years back as an assistant,” he stated.
But a journalist based in New York, USA, Franklin Ude, claimed that Hadejia was being persecuted by his former boss.
Ude, who posted copies of the arrest warrant, explained that Hadejia was abducted from his Abuja home on Monday on the orders of Matawalle.
“He is also being accused of enlisting me in his plot to remove the government. The military officials who abducted Hadejia on Monday sprayed powdered substance suspected to be powdered teargas on his face, causing him to become unconscious before he was whisked away to an unknown destination,” he wrote.
According to him, Hadejia is also accused of possessing bars of gold believed to have been stolen from the Libyan Central Bank.
“It is not a case of treason, terrorism or stolen Gold bars. This is just a war of two former friends with one who is in government using his position to intimidate the other,” he added.
Ude, when contacted by our correspondent, declined comment on the matter.
However, a tweep, Abbas Nagwari, said the arrest should not be connected to Matawalle.
He said, “Nobody is claiming that Bashir Hadeja was not a former aide to Matawalle. But why are you avoiding new facts? Matawalle sacked him because of his criminal behavior; and it is the same @Bellomatawalle1 that ensured his arrest. People should think before they speak.”
A Twitter poll conducted by Online PUNCH on Saturday showed that increasing number of Nigerians wanted the government to probe associates of the suspect.
More than 93 per cent of responders demanded that the Federal Government share more information on the arrest and links of Hadejia to senior government officials.
When contacted, the FCT police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh referred our correspondent to the Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi.
The Force spokesperson confirmed the suspect’s arrest.
“He is in custody,” he added.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, could not be reached for comment as of press time.
The Personal Assistant on Media and Publicity to Badaru, Mati Ali, did not take his calls and had yet to respond to a message sent to him on the matter.
Aide defends minister
Meanwhile, an aide to the Minister of State for Defence, Suleiman Shuaibu, has denied any connection between his principal and the suspect.
Shuaibu stated that he has “never met Hadejia and does not know him personally” while expressing concern over the linking of his principal to him.
He noted that Hadejia had also been “photographed with other high-profile individuals, including President Bola Tinubu, Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, but their names are not being mentioned.”
Shuaibu emphasised that Matawalle had nothing to do with Hadejia and that relating them is “uncalled for.”
“If Hadejia is found guilty, he should face the law,” he added.
Northern forum demands probe
A spokesperson for the Northern Elders Forum, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, expressed deep concern over the arrest of Hadejia, describing the revelations as “appalling” and a threat to Nigeria’s stability.
According to him, the alleged activities uncovered ranging from gun-running and treason to cross-border crimes posed a significant danger to the nation’s sovereignty.
He said, “We have not discussed the matter at the Northern Elders Forum level. But as a Nigerian with conscience, I can competently say that the revelations surrounding the arrest of Bashir Hadejia is appalling and the nefarious activities reportedly uncovered by the arrest pose a severe threat not only to the sovereignty of our great nation but also to the very fabric of our society.
Suleiman commended the Nigerian security agencies for apprehending Hadejia, noting that their success in unraveling such a complex criminal network is praiseworthy.
However, he cautioned that this arrest was just the beginning, emphasising the need for deeper action. “The roots of this menace run deep, and Nigerian authorities must act decisively,” he stated.
He expressed alarm over Hadejia’s reported links to international criminal syndicates, which include smuggling stolen gold from Libya and supporting terrorism. Suleiman described these activities as “an affront to our sovereignty and an invasion of our peace,” warning that criminal networks like these do not respect borders.
Particularly troubling, he noted, was Hadejia’s alleged role in sponsoring protests like #EndBadGovernance, which led to violence in the North. Suleiman decried how criminal elements exploited legitimate grievances, leading to instability. “It is shocking to learn that anyone connected to the devastations of recent protests in northern Nigeria had ulterior motives,” he said.
He also highlighted the disturbing connections between Hadejia and powerful political figures, including a former DSS director, urging the government to act decisively.
The President-General of the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, commended security operatives for the arrest.
In an exclusive interview with one of our correspondents in Kaduna on Friday, Shettima described the arrest as a positive development in the fight against terrorism, emphasising the need for thorough investigation and prosecution to serve as a deterrent.
He said, “Well, for us, we look at it in a positive way. Even though he still remains a suspect by the Nigeria law.
“They should do the needful to investigate properly and be sure so that at the end of the day, if he is found wanting, he should serve as a deterrent so that others should know that we are not in Banana Republic.
“We are in a country where law and order prevail. So that those young element or whoever that thinks can do things and get away with all impunity will also realise that there is always bad days.
“They were not even together when he’s the minister. We see his pictures everywhere in the Aso Rock Villa. In fact, he has a nickname called ‘Villa Boy’.”
Shettima also addressed Hadejia’s link to Defence Minister Bello Matawalle, stating that association with personalities did not imply complicity.
He emphasized that Hadejia should face the music alone, and if collaborators were found, they should be brought to book.
The National Chairman of the Northern Comrades Movement of Nigeria, Jabir Yaro said it was a sensitive issue.
“The case should be investigated and the true situation ascertained,” he added.
A human rights lawyer and lead counsel for the Indigenous People of Biafra, Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has urged South-East residents to completely ignore what he described as a “fraudulent” sit-at-home order allegedly scheduled for Monday, February 2, 2026, by a faction of the group.
Recall that the pro-Biafran group, through its spokesman Emma Powerful, had directed a sit-at-home on February 2 across the region in solidarity with traders at the Onitsha Main Market.
Powerful said the total shutdown in Biafraland is a direct, peaceful, and unified response to the actions of Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who ordered the closure of the Onitsha Main Market for one week.
But in a counter statement released on Saturday, Ejiofor said the source behind the directive, operating under the guise of “Emma Powerful,” has been compromised and is acting against the collective interest of Ndi-Igbo.
He insisted that IPOB has formally and decisively distanced itself from the false sit-at-home order and directed Ndi-Igbo to go about their lawful activities without fear.
The statement read in part: “Once again, the well-worn theatre of misinformation has opened its curtains, this time with a particularly lazy script and an insultingly predictable cast.
“Late yesterday, a report was widely circulated alleging that a total lockdown of Ala-Igbo had been ordered under the guise of a sit-at-home directive purportedly issued by ‘Emma Powerful,’ slated for Monday, February 2, 2026.
“Let it be stated clearly, unequivocally, and without ambiguity: this directive is fake, a phantom, a calculated falsehood.
“Upon careful inquiry and diligent verification, especially considering the delicate and hard-won calm presently returning to our homeland, it became glaringly obvious that the so-called ‘Emma Powerful’ platform has been fatally compromised.
“It has been hijacked by vested interests whose business model thrives on fear, disruption, extortion, and the cynical exploitation of vulnerable communities.
“The peaceful global movement of the IPOB has formally and decisively disowned this fabricated publication, categorically distancing itself from the false sit-at-home order and directing Ndi-Igbo to go about their lawful and normal activities without fear.
“Going forward, the message from IPOB is unmistakable: any publication attributed to ‘Emma Powerful’ should be treated with extreme suspicion, if not outright contempt.
“Frankly, one cannot but express astonishment, bordering on disbelief, that at such a critical juncture, when relative peace is cautiously resurfacing in Ala-Igbo, anyone would recklessly circulate information capable of reopening wounds and inviting criminal infiltration.
“History has taught us, at unbearable cost, what happens when fake directives fall into the hands of violent opportunists masquerading as enforcers.
“It is therefore no longer sufficient to merely advise our people to ‘ignore’ publications from this source. The time has come for greater clarity and firmness. The platform known as ‘Emma Powerful,’ in its current corrupted state, has positioned itself as an adversary to Ala-Igbo’s peace, progress, and collective well-being.”
According to Ejiofor, the peaceful global movement must go further by publicly and definitively explaining why this source has become unreliable, compromised, and hostile to the collective interest of Ndi-Igbo. Silence, ambiguity, or polite distancing, he said, only leaves room for further abuse.
“A masquerade that dances with fire should not be mistaken for a messenger of truth,” the statement concluded.
In recent operations across the North East, troops of the Joint Task Force Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have neutralized scores of terrorists and recovered a significant cache of arms and ammunition.
Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) in a statement said intelligence has confirmed the killing of JULAIBIB, a top ISWAP commander operating within the Gujba axis of the Timbuktu Triangle, during an encounter around Kimba, Damboa LGA of Borno State, on 30 January 2026.
According to the statement, the elimination of the terrorist leader has thrown ISWAP elements in the area into disarray, with several fighters reportedly neutralised during the operation.
In a related operation, troops of OPHK, working in collaboration with the Civilian Joint Task Force, neutralised 3 terrorists during a well-coordinated ambush between Ngazalgana and Lamusheri communities in Borno State.
It said the operation followed credible intelligence on insurgent movements in the area, as troops laid an ambush along the identified route and engaged the terrorists with effective firepower, resulting in the neutralisation of 3 insurgents, while others fled with gunshot injuries.
The statement said troops recovered two AK-47, adding that the operation forms part of sustained efforts to deny terrorists freedom of movement and degrade their operational capabilities across the Theatre.
It said troops also recorded multiple successes in Adamawa State, adding that on 29 January, 2026, troops responded swiftly to a distress call from Barama community, Mubi North LGA, foiling an armed robbery attempt. Two armed robbery suspects attempting to attack a student of the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, were arrested. One suspect sustained a gunshot wound to the thigh while attempting to confront the troops and was evacuated to the Federal Medical Centre, Mubi, for treatment.
The suspects were subsequently handed over to the Nigeria Police for further investigation. Items recovered include 3 cutlasses, 2 laptops, 4 mobile phones, and one power bank.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State has affirmed the death sentences passed on five 2018 Offa robbery convicts.
The court dismissed their appeals as lacking merit.
The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the state, Mohammed Akande, who witnessed the proceedings, said that the three Appeal Court judges unanimously agreed on the judgement and affirmed the verdict of the state High Court condemning the five persons to death by hanging.
“The Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division comprising of Hon. Justice Ridwan Maiwada Abdullahi JCA, Hon. Justice Gabriel Kolawole JCA and Hon. Justice Abdul Dogo today, Friday affirmed the judgment of Hon. Justice H. A. Saleeman of the Kwara State High Court, that sentenced the Appellants: Niyi Ogundiran, Salawu Azeez, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Ayoade Akinnibosun and Adeola Abraham to death by hanging for the involvement in the Offa Bank Robbery”.
Another official of the Court also said that the appellate court rejected all the grounds of appeal filed by the convicts and ordered their immediate return to prison custody.
“The court dismissed all their grounds of appeal and upheld their convictions. They have been taken back to prison,” the official said.
The official said that the arguments raised at the Court of Appeal were unconvincing and may not succeed if repeated at the apex court.
It is recalled that Ayoade Akinnibosun, Azeez Salahudeen, Niyi Ogundiran, Ibikunle Ogunleye and Adeola Abraham were convicted of armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms and culpable homicide.
A sixth suspect, Michael Adikwu, a retired police officer, died in custody before the commencement of the trial.
At least 32 people were killed, including nine police officers, two of whom were women, making it one of the deadliest bank robberies in Nigeria’s history.
Justice Haleemah Saleeman of the Kwara State High Court had earlier sentenced the five convicts to death by hanging after a trial that lasted about six years and attracted nationwide attention.
In her judgment, which lasted over four hours, Justice Salman held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
She said the convicts “acted contrary to the law and allowed their connections with those in power at the time to lead them astray”.
In addition to the death sentence, the trial court also sentenced them to three years’ imprisonment for illegal possession of firearms, in line with provisions of Nigeria’s penal laws.
Lead prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), described the appellate court’s decision as thorough and well considered, despite the prolonged delays that characterised the trial.
On the defence side, Abdullah Jimba, counsel to one of the convicts, said that preparations were underway to pursue a final appeal at the Supreme Court.
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