The appointment of General Christopher Musa, recently retired from the Nigerian Army, as the Minister of Defence has been met with a complex mix of hope and profound skepticism across Nigeria. It is an understatement to say that many citizens have lost confidence in the government’s capability to decisively tackle the raging insurgency and various forms of insecurity plaguing the nation.
Some citizens openly doubt Musa’s capacity to deliver, recalling that his tenure as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) from 2023 to October 2025 did not entirely succeed in quelling the insecurity. Conversely, many others hold onto hope that his extensive experience and the lessons learned from nearly four decades in the Nigerian Army will prove fruitful in his new, challenging assignment.
Musa, 58, is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most accomplished infantry commanders, having held critical roles such as the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai—the primary counter-terrorism operation in the North-East and the head of Sector 3 of the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin.
The Overwhelming Challenge Ahead
The new Minister is acutely aware of the enormous challenges ahead of him. Terrorists have been responsible for the deaths of over 100,000 Nigerians and continue their relentless killings, displacing over two million others. The insecurity has devastated the agricultural sector, forcing countless farmers to abandon their land. Moreover, the crisis of mass abductions persists, with citizens, including schoolchildren, being kidnapped and schools forced to close.
Just last month, terrorists attacked the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Kebbi State, killing the vice-principal and abducting 26 schoolgirls (though they have since been freed). A more recent attack on St. Mary’s Catholic school in Niger State resulted in the abduction of over 300 schoolchildren and 12 teachers. While about 50 students have escaped, approximately 250 remain in captivity. A lasting solution to these incessant attacks is non-negotiable.
The Way Forward: Overhaul and Collaboration
Musa’s task is to overhaul the entire defense system. As a member of the Federal Executive Council, he must leverage his position to impress upon his colleagues the urgency of the steps required to defeat the insurgency.
He needs to prioritize boosting inter-agency collaboration, seeking crucial assistance from international partners, and making good on his public vows. During his onboarding, Musa stated: “Nigerians have shown me love, and I assure them that I will work, whatever it takes, to ensure that Nigeria is secured. Within the shortest possible time, Nigerians will see results.”
Having previously worked with the Service Chiefs, he must now interface with them to resolve crucial, long-standing issues surrounding arms and equipment procurement, soldiers’ welfare, and, critically, eliminating fifth columnists within security circles. He must move beyond the traditional military approach by combining kinetic (force) and non-kinetic (non-force) methods in this war. Given his high-level view of Nigeria’s security architecture, he must find a way to make every segment of society a stakeholder in this fight.
Intelligence and Accountability
To succeed, Musa should prioritize acquiring precise, credible, and technologically driven intelligence to effectively destroy insurgents and bandits. He must study the templates of countries that successfully eliminated insurgency and tailor those strategies to fit Nigeria’s unique situation.
His pledge to get to the root of reported sabotage within the military is highly reassuring. He has promised a full-scale investigation into the troop withdrawal that occurred before the Kebbi school attack and the recent killing of a Brigadier-General, Musa Uba, and others in Borno State. He must adopt a zero-tolerance approach to both terrorism and banditry.
Avoiding Past Pitfalls
To ensure his success, General Musa must carefully avoid the pitfalls that characterized the tenures of his immediate predecessors. Former Defence Minister Abubakar Badaru recently resigned, ostensibly on health grounds, but had faced severe criticism after an interview with BBC Hausa where he controversially claimed that terrorists “are people you cannot attack, or they are in the forests where our bombs cannot reach them.”
Worse still is the presence of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, who is alleged to harbor sympathy for terrorists—an alarming situation for a key figure in the defense ministry. As noted by Reports, such a politician has absolutely no business being in the Defence Ministry, despite the Department of State Services having cleared his appointment.
Musa’s first symbolic victory should be the capture of notorious bandit kingpin Bello Turji. He must galvanize the military to capture Turji and other major terrorists, dealing with them decisively to signal the beginning of the end of this relentless carnage.
