The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammad Matawalle, has said that only God can ultimately bring an end to Nigeria’s insecurity challenges, while urging Nigerians to support security agencies with prayers and cooperation.
Matawalle spoke against the backdrop of renewed killings and abductions in parts of the country, including recent attacks on schools in Oyo and Borno states.
Gunmen had reportedly attacked three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting 39 students and seven teachers. In Borno State, armed groups also attacked schools in Mussa, Askira-Uba Local Government Area, abducting 42 pupils.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, Matawalle described insecurity as a national challenge that should not be politicised or used to incite Nigerians against the government.
According to him, insecurity does not discriminate on the basis of political affiliation, religion or status, and could affect anyone.
“It’s disheartening, and we must all rise to ensure that security agencies and Nigerians work together to end insecurity in the country. Insecurity does not discriminate based on political affiliation or religion. It can affect anyone,” he said.
The minister accused some opposition figures of exploiting the security situation for political gain, saying they were more interested in portraying President Bola Tinubu’s administration as a failure than supporting efforts to restore peace.
“That is why we have urged the opposition to stop using insecurity to incite people. It is a challenge that can happen to anyone, and no Nigerian is happy about it,” Matawalle said.
“Unfortunately, some members of the opposition appear pleased with the situation. They do not care about the people. What matters to them is portraying the government as a failure for their own political interests and deceiving people into believing they alone can end insecurity.”
He said the fight against insecurity requires divine intervention, collective prayers and the support of all Nigerians.
“It is only God that can bring an end to this insecurity, alongside our collective prayers and efforts. It should not be used as a tool to condemn others or score political points,” he added.
Matawalle also alleged that some old and misleading videos were being circulated on social media to create the impression that the Tinubu administration had failed in addressing insecurity.
According to him, some of the videos being shared were either from previous administrations or from other countries, including Burkina Faso and Mali, but were being falsely presented as recent incidents in Nigeria.
“There are fake and recycled videos being circulated, some dating back to the Jonathan administration and others from countries such as Burkina Faso and Mali, yet they are being presented as incidents that occurred under this administration. That is not true,” he said.
The minister maintained that insecurity is not peculiar to Nigeria, adding that even powerful countries have battled security threats for years.
He assured Nigerians that security agencies were working round the clock to defeat terrorists and other criminal elements responsible for attacks across the country.
“Our security operatives are working tirelessly across the country. We have directed them to deal decisively with terrorists, but this is not a challenge that can disappear overnight. Even some of the world’s powerful nations have battled insecurity for years and are still confronting it,” Matawalle said.
He appealed to Nigerians to continue praying for the government and supporting ongoing security operations aimed at ending terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
“We ask Nigerians to continue praying for us and supporting efforts to bring this challenge to an end,” he said.
