NEWS
Alleged Bribery Scandal as U.S. Lawmaker Accuses Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Bello Matawalle of Attempting to Influence UN-WCD Report on Christian Killings
A fresh wave of controversy has emerged on the international stage as Kimberly Daniels, a United States Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives for District 14, has alleged that Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, attempted to bribe a U.S. official in a bid to alter the narrative surrounding a controversial international report.
The allegation, which has rapidly gained traction across social media platforms, was made public in a viral video released on Daniels’ official Facebook account on Monday. In the video, the outspoken lawmaker raised serious concerns over what she described as an attempt to manipulate findings linked to the United World Congress of Diplomats (UN-WCD) report.
According to Daniels, the alleged action was aimed at discrediting or reshaping the conclusions of the UN-WCD report, which reportedly accused Matawalle of involvement in issues surrounding the ongoing violence affecting Christian communities in parts of Nigeria.
She maintained that the report focused on what it described as Christian genocide in Nigeria and alleged that efforts were being made behind the scenes to suppress its impact internationally.
“A US elected official was offered money by Nigeria’s minister of state defense, Bello Matawalle, to change the narrative of the UN-WCD Christian genocide in Nigeria report,” she said in the viral video.
Daniels further stressed her unwavering stance on the matter, insisting that no level of pressure or inducement would deter her from speaking out against the killings of Christians in Nigeria, particularly in regions such as Plateau, Benue, and Kaduna States where violence has persisted.
It is noteworthy that Daniels, who also serves as the chairperson of the United World Congress of Diplomats (UN-WCD), had previously called on Bola Ahmed Tinubu to relieve Matawalle of his duties over alleged complicity in the violence reported in several parts of the country.
As of the time of filing this report, Matawalle has yet to officially respond to the allegations leveled against him by the U.S. lawmaker, leaving the claims unaddressed amid growing public and diplomatic interest.
The development has sparked conversations both within Nigeria and internationally, raising questions about accountability, diplomatic integrity, and the global perception of Nigeria’s internal security challenges.