Nigeria’s Defence Minister Matawalle Attempted to Bribe US Official to Cover Up Report on Christian Killings, Says Florida Rep

A fresh diplomatic storm is brewing after a United States lawmaker publicly accused Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, of attempting to bribe an American official. The alleged goal was to suppress a damning international report that indicted the minister over ongoing killings in Nigeria and called for his removal.

The explosive allegation was made by Kimberly Daniels, a Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives and chairperson of the United World Congress of Diplomats (UN-WCD). In a viral video posted on her official Facebook page, Daniels claimed that an unnamed U.S. elected official was offered money by the Nigerian minister. The aim, she said, was to “change the narrative” of a UN-WCD report that had indicted Matawalle over insecurity and the targeted killings of Christians in states such as Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, and Nasarawa.

The controversy stems from a report Daniels released on April 14, 2026, which raised concerns over escalating violence in Nigeria’s North Central and North West regions. The report described the violence as a “coordinated pattern of attacks” rather than random insecurity. It also questioned the continued leadership of the defence ministry under Matawalle, citing “credibility and integrity concerns”, and called on President Bola Tinubu to consider redeploying the minister.

Following the report’s release, Daniels alleged she came under pressure from individuals she linked to Matawalle, including attempts to discredit her findings and “buy support” from U.S.-based elected officials. She claimed to have received evidence of a communication, including a prepared statement and promotional material, purportedly linked to the minister, which she said was designed to divide American elected officials. “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,” Daniels stated, adding that “no amount of pressure” would silence her stand against the killings.

Daniels insisted her intervention was a call for investigation rather than an outright accusation and dismissed attempts to intimidate her, asserting her constitutional right to speak on international human rights issues. The bribery claims remain unverified, with no evidence presented to the public and no official investigation announced by U.S. authorities. As of press time, neither the Nigerian government nor Minister Matawalle has issued an official response to the allegations. The accusation has nonetheless sparked widespread reactions online and placed Nigeria’s security leadership under renewed international scrutiny.

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