Matawalle Calls for Support of Security Forces, Stating Only God Can End Nigeria’s Insecurity

John Shiklam in Kaduna

Minister of State for Defence Bello Muhammad Matawalle said that only God can ultimately end Nigeria’s security challenges.

In a BBC Hausa interview, Matawalle explained that insecurity remains a national problem that requires joint action from security agencies and citizens.

He urged Nigerians to back the security forces, prayed for peace, and cautioned politicians against exploiting the situation for political gain.

“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.

“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. 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 added.

“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 said.

Matawalle said that some people were circulating old and misleading videos on social media to suggest a failure of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

He noted that insecurity is not an isolated case in Nigeria and promised that security operatives were working around the clock to crush terrorists launching attacks in parts of the country.

“There are fake and recycled videos being circulated; some dating back to Jonathan’s 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.

“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,” he explained.

“We ask Nigerians to continue praying for us and supporting efforts to bring this challenge to an end,” he concluded.