On September 6, 2024, a memo, which allegedly emanated from the office of the secretary to the state government (SSG) of Zamfara went viral across social media. According to the memo, purportedly signed by Abubakar Nakwada, the SSG of the state, five bandit kingpins and six media promoters were to be funded as part of the state government reconciliation programme. According to the memo sent to the governor of Zamfara and titled “RE- NORTH-WESTERN GOVERNORS/ UN-ORGANIZED SECURITY SUMMIT IN KATSINA,” the bandit kingpins and media promoters are to be paid the sum of one billion, three hundred and seventy-eight million naira.
CLAIM: Zamfara state government issued a memo to pay bandit and media promoters
VERIFICATION:
The CDD War Room traced the image to an online news platform named “Abuja Business Reports.” We found that this online news platform posted the image of the memo on September 4, 2024, with a news article titled “Exclusive: Inside Details Of How Zamfara Gov, Dauda Lawal Finances Gold Extraction, Settle Bandits From State Security Funds”
A further investigation showed that on June 24-25, 2024, the Northwest Governors’ Forum Nigeria, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), held the inaugural Northwest Peace and Security Summit in Katsina State. At the end of the summit, there was an agreement by all participating parties (seven Northwest state governments, federal government, and the UN) to support the development of the Northwest Peace and Security Development Framework.
We found that at no point or instance did the participants resolved to pay bandits.
The CDD War Room perused the memo in circulation and found some discrepancies. We found that the memo does not carry the seal and other official details of the Zamfara state government that should be at the topmost part of the memo. We also noted that every memo has a serial number or sorting number that follows an order. However, this circulated memo does not have any number attached to it.
Furthermore, the Zamfara state government has debunked the circulating memo and affirmed that it “won’t pay bandits or dialogue with them.” Similarly, one of the media promoters listed as a beneficiary in the memo, Sahara Reporters has denied the receipt of funds relating to the memo. The publisher, Omoyele Sowore, via his verified X (formerly Twitter) page clarified that “these allegations are unfounded and intended to blackmail Sowore and SaharaReporters and like others before it, has failed.”
VERDICT: NO EVIDENCE
The CDD War Room found no evidence to show that the memo emanated from the Zamfara state government. We found multiple discrepancies in the circulated memo, which raise questions about its authenticity. We found statements released by the Zamfara state government denying the memo and one of the alleged recipients has also dissociated itself from the memo.
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