President Bola Tinubu on Thursday swore in General Christopher Musa (rtd), the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence.
The brief ceremony took place at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja, barely twenty-four hours after the Senate confirmed his nomination following a marathon five-hour screening on Wednesday.
Dressed in traditional attire, General Musa took the oath of office and oath of allegiance administered by the President before members of the Federal Executive Council, service chiefs and other senior government officials.
The appointment fills the vacancy created by the recent resignation of Badaru Abubakar, who served as minister from August 2023.
During Wednesday’s screening, senators subjected the retired general to intense questioning over persistent security challenges, including the abduction of over 20 schoolgirls from Government Comprehensive Girls Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State, on 17 November – just days after troops were controversially withdrawn from the school premises.
General Musa assured the lawmakers that, upon assuming office, he would immediately launch a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the troop withdrawal and the subsequent attack.
He also pledged to probe the recent killing of Brigade Commander Brigadier-General Musa Uba and three other soldiers in Borno State, alongside other fatal ambushes on senior military officers.
The new minister promised a more robust and intelligence-driven approach to tackling insurgency, banditry, and separatist agitation across the country.
“Security remains the bedrock of development,” General Musa told journalists shortly after the swearing-in. “I will work tirelessly with the service chiefs and security agencies to restore lasting peace.”
President Tinubu urged the new minister to build on existing gains and redouble efforts to end all forms of insecurity plaguing the nation.
With General Musa now at the helm of the Ministry of Defence, expectations are high that his extensive operational experience will translate into decisive action against Nigeria’s myriad security threats.
