Newly sworn-in Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), has assured citizens that the Federal Government’s renewed security strategies will soon yield visible results across the country.
Musa gave the assurance on Thursday shortly after President Bola Tinubu formally swore him in at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The minister, who spoke to journalists said his immediate priority is to reposition the defence architecture and strengthen cooperation among all security formations.
“My immediate priority is to make sure that defence takes its place fully in the country. The synergy between the armed forces, between the armed forces and other security agencies, and all Nigerians being carried along, as we have always said, security is everybody’s responsibility,” he said.
“It is that synergy that we need to build on and work on, and that’s what we are going to do. I can assure you, within the shortest possible time, Nigerians will see results.
“I want to use this medium to appreciate all Nigerians. Nigerians have shown me love, and I will guarantee them that I am going to work, whatever it takes, to ensure that Nigeria is secured,” he said
‘Nigerians Should Sleep With Eyes Closed’
Responding to questions on the President’s directive to him, Musa said Tinubu emphasised that national security must be restored as a matter of urgency.
“Yes, I just met Mr President, and he reiterated his mind on the aspect that we must make sure that Nigeria is secured.
“Nigerians should go back and sleep with their eyes closed; go back to their farms; schools open without being molested. Everyone being carried together to make sure that Nigeria continues to grow in line with the renewed programme of Mr President,” he said.
General Musa’s swearing-in followed his confirmation by the Senate on Wednesday after a five-hour screening session.
He was nominated by President Tinubu to fill the vacuum created by the resignation of former Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru, who stepped down on health grounds.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga shared images of the swearing-in ceremony on his X handle, describing the appointment as central to the administration’s security reforms.
During his Senate screening, Musa, who served as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) from June 2023 to October 2025, decried the alarming rise in kidnapping for ransom and insisted that paying such money fuels criminal operations.
According to him, technology-driven intelligence remains crucial to dismantling criminal networks.
He warned that ransom payments “compromise security” and undermine ongoing counter-terrorism efforts.
Tinubu, in his communication to the Senate, expressed confidence in Musa’s capacity to lead Nigeria’s defence establishment at a time when the country is under pressure to curb expanding security threat.
General Musa, 57, now assumes one of Nigeria’s strategic national security positions, with widespread expectation that his experience as CDS will help stabilise the nation’s security landscape.
