Nigeria’s Defence Minister, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, has drawn sharp public condemnation after a video of his recent remarks on national security went viral.
In the clip, Musa stated: “This is the time for us to pray together; it is not a time to blame anybody, but a time for unity. The terrorists just want to put fear in us.”
He added that terrorists aim to sow division so Nigerians would conclude the Tinubu government is failing in its duties.
The comments surfaced amid persistent attacks by insurgents, bandits and kidnappers that continue to claim lives across several regions.
Social media users, especially on X, reacted with fury. Many described the call for prayer as an evasion of duty by those tasked with ending the violence.
One user demanded Musa resign immediately, arguing the minister should focus on fighting terrorists rather than telling citizens to pray. Another asked bluntly whether prayer has ever stopped an insurgency.
The backlash reflects widespread exhaustion with official responses that citizens say offer spiritual comfort instead of operational results.
Musa, appointed minister in December 2025 after serving as Chief of Defence Staff, has repeatedly called for national cohesion and moral support for troops. He has also warned against individuals who appear to justify banditry.
Critics now accuse him of using the same unity rhetoric to shield the administration from scrutiny over its security record.
They note that earlier admissions by Musa about insider collaboration and political-year spikes in violence have not translated into visible containment of the threats.
The minister’s appeal has been dismissed by many as tone-deaf at a time when families still bury victims of raids and abductions.
Public frustration centres on the gap between leadership rhetoric and the daily reality of unchecked criminality in rural communities and urban fringes alike.
While Musa has positioned the fight against terror as requiring whole-society effort, Nigerians online insist the primary burden rests with government agencies that have so far delivered limited relief.
The viral clip has intensified demands for accountability rather than further calls to unite in prayer.
As the outrage spreads, it underscores a deepening public distrust in security leadership that many believe has run out of credible excuses.
The episode leaves one clear message from citizens: faith and unity matter, but they cannot substitute for competent protection of lives and territory.
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