The Zamfara State Government has reacted to allegations, made by Bello Matawalle, the immediate past Governor of the State, accusing it of breaking into two of his houses and stealing his cars and other personal belongings, including his wife hijabs, stoves, and daughter’s wedding materials.

The government led by the recently sworn in Governor of the state, Dauda Lawal, had said that following a court order, security agents in the state had on Friday, raided two houses of the former Governor, located in Gusau and Maradun and seized 40 vehicles, belonging to the state.

On Saturday, Matawalle, in an interview with BBC Hausa Service said he was not aware of any court order, and the vehicles taken from his houses are personal vehicles which some were campaign gifts, and the rest, he bought as a car dealer, before becoming Governor of the state.

Matawalle, while blaming stupidity and poverty for the raid which he termed robbery, alleged that the state government stole his personal items and just want to create problems.

He said: “I have never seen this kind of stupidity where someone’s house will just be entered without any permission as if we are in a lawless country.

“I am in Abuja and nobody told me that any court gave that order or invited me and I refused to answer.

“The saddest thing is that, in my Gusau house, all my wives’ rooms were broken, even hijabs have been taken away. Stoves were all put in a car and taken away.

“Instead of Dauda facing Zamfara problems, he wants to create another crisis because he knows I have my people and they will not fold their hands.

“In my Maradun house, they took away all campaign cars that people gave us as contributions, including those I bought in the United States even before becoming governor; you know I was a car seller. I will not ask them to bring the cars back, everybody knows that I have cars.

“This is robbery, they entered everywhere in my houses, even my daughter’s wedding clothing materials (Kayan Lefe) were not spared.”

Reacting to the recent theft allegations, Mustapha Jafaru Kaura, the Governor’s adviser on media affairs, insisted the raid on the former governor houses by the security forces was legal, following a court order.

Kaura said that all the 40 vehicles including three bullet proof cars, taken from the former governor’s private house belong to the government and that if he claims a non-government car has been taken, he should provide its certificate so that such, can be return to him.

He said the state government will not be deterred by the allegations and must continue to recover the state assets.

Governor Lawal who contested under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled a total of 377,726 votes to defeat Matawalle of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the then incumbent Governor of the state who polled a total of 311,976 votes.