A United States legislator has alleged that the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, attempted to suppress international scrutiny of ongoing killings across parts of the country.
The allegations were made by Kimberly Daniels, a member of the Florida House of Representatives and Chairwoman of the United World Congress of Diplomats (UN-WCD), during a Facebook live broadcast where she accused the minister of seeking to influence American officials through coordinated messaging.
Daniels alleged that following her recent statement on what she described as targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria, she came under pressure from individuals she linked to Matawalle, including efforts she described as attempts to discredit her report and “buy support” from US-based elected officials.
She said an unnamed American lawmaker was allegedly “persuaded” to publicly counter her position and defend Nigeria’s defence leadership.
She also claimed to have received evidence of a communication, including a prepared statement and promotional material, purportedly linked to the minister, attempts she said were designed to divide American elected officials, “not knowing that they are united.”
“I am speaking on behalf of people who say they are under attack,” Daniels stated, adding that her intervention was a call for investigation rather than outright accusation.
The lawmaker further dismissed attempts to intimidate or silence her, asserting her constitutional right to speak on international human rights issues as an elected official.
The controversy followed a report released by Daniels on April 14, 2026, in her capacity as head of the UN-WCD, which raised concerns over escalating violence in Nigeria’s North Central and North West.
The report referenced attacks during the Easter period in states, including Plateau, Kaduna, and Nasarawa, and highlighted what it described as growing gaps between government assurances and realities on ground.
The document also questioned the continued leadership of the defence ministry under Matawalle, citing what it described as “credibility and integrity concerns”.
It recommended a review of Nigeria’s security leadership and called on President Bola Tinubu to consider a redeployment of the minister, alongside a transparent investigation into the allegations.
Daniels maintained that her position was informed by testimonies from affected communities, members of the Nigerian diaspora, and findings from the UN-WCD’s multinational network spanning the United States, Nigeria, Ghana, the United Kingdom and Canada.