Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has said the recent sponsored attacks on the minister of state for defence Bello Matawalle and the national security adviser (NSA) Malam Nuhu Ribadu are targetted on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

During his recent appearance on Channels Television, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal criticised the administration of President Tinubu alleging that he lacks the will to address the chronic insecurity afflicting Zamfara State and Northern Nigeria.

Similarly, the forum said some sponsored faceless groups attacked the minister of state for defence Matawalle and the NSA, apparently calling for their removal, saying it is another subtle way of trying to get at the president, knowing fully well that they are among the trusted loyalists of the president.

In a statement issued by the president-general of AYCF Alhaji Yerima Shettima, he averred that Governor Lawal has failed to defend his own ineffectiveness and absence during critical security crises affecting his state, stressing that on the very day female students from the Federal University Gusau were abducted, the governor embarked on a personal trip to the United States, thus leaving his state leaderless during a dire emergency.

Shettima said it is no longer news that Governor Lawal has consistently refused to collaborate with federal initiatives aimed at combating insecurity, thereby undermining collective efforts.

He said the expansive role of the minister of defence and the NSA, which involves harmonizing efforts between the military, paramilitary, and intelligence agencies to combat nationwide security threats and their focus on overhauling the operational environment for the nation’s security forces has been pivotal in enhancing their effectiveness against terrorism, insurgency, and other critical threats.