I'll do whatever it takes to secure Nigeria, new Defence Minister, Gen. Musa, vows

ABUJA – The newly appointed Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, has pledged to take all necessary measures to secure Nigeria and called on citizens to play their part in the national security effort.

General Musa, who was sworn in by President Bola Tinubu on Thursday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, stated he is fully aware of the responsibilities of his new role.

He emphasized that the president expects to see a nation where citizens can “sleep with their eyes closed.”

Speaking to State House correspondents, Musa outlined his immediate priority: “To make sure that defence takes its place fully in the country.”

He stressed the importance of synergy—between the armed forces, among various security agencies, and with all Nigerians. “Security is everybody’s responsibility,” he noted, adding that he aims to build on this collaborative approach and assured Nigerians they would see results in the shortest possible time.

The Minister confirmed that President Tinubu, immediately after the swearing-in, directed him to restore security nationwide so that Nigerians can return safely to their farms, children can attend school without fear, and the country can progress in line with the administration’s “Renewed Hope” agenda.

General Musa’s appointment follows the resignation of the former Minister, Abubakar Badaru. He was screened by the Senate on Wednesday, where he addressed questions on his agenda amid ongoing security challenges like kidnappings and bandit attacks.

President Tinubu, who administered the oath of office, described Musa as a “fine gentleman” whose track record equips him to drive a more integrated national security strategy.

The 58-year-old General previously served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 to October 2025, overseeing counter-terrorism operations and inter-agency coordination.

Meanwhile, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar—represented by the Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah—expressed optimism about General Musa’s ability to deliver. Kukah emphasized the urgent need to restore normalcy to Nigeria’s security situation.

“Rain, thunder, sunshine, whatever it takes to get this mess under control. These guys need to be flushed out. Normalcy needs to return to our country,” Kukah stated.

He added that laughter and joy must be restored to Nigeria as quickly as possible, concluding, “All we do is to pray for the best.”

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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