Matawalle says only God can solve insecurity. Is this surrender?

Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammad Matawalle, has stated that only God can ultimately end Nigeria's security challenges. Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, he said insecurity is a national problem requiring cooperation and prayers from all Nigerians, warning politicians not to exploit it for political gain. He specifically accused the opposition of circulating old and misleading videos from Burkina Faso and Mali to make the Tinubu administration look bad.

Look, I understand that prayer is important. But when a Defence Minister publicly says only God can solve our security problems, it sounds like an admission of failure. We have security agencies funded with billions of naira every year. We have soldiers, police, and intelligence officers. Yet the official position is to defer to divine intervention while blaming the opposition for pointing out the obvious. Recent attacks in Oyo and Borno show this is not abstract.

Matawalle also claimed insecurity is a global challenge that cannot be eliminated overnight. That is true. But when kidnappings and banditry become normalised, and the government's response is to ask for prayers, it feels like we are being gaslit. Am I the only one who finds this deeply troubling?