The Senate on Wednesday confirmed General Christopher Gwabin Musa, immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, as Nigeria’s Minister of Defence following a rigorous screening in which lawmakers lauded his detailed and actionable security reform strategy.
Nominated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Musa told senators that the country stands at a critical juncture in the fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and violent crime. He stressed the need for a bold, intelligence-driven, and community-based approach, warning that piecemeal measures could no longer guarantee national security.
Musa outlined a coordinated national strategy anchored on actionable intelligence, modern technology, inter-agency collaboration, and robust community participation. He promised data-driven operations supported by a harmonised national database linking suspects and crimes across borders, banks, telecoms, and travel systems.
He also highlighted the urgency of modernising border surveillance, strengthening early-warning systems, and enhancing cooperation with neighbouring countries, noting that Nigeria’s porous borders remain a major conduit for insurgents and arms smugglers.
Restoring public trust, Musa said, is central to the success of any security framework. “We cannot shoot our way out of hunger or hopelessness,” he added, urging a balance between force, dialogue, justice, and socio-economic reform to tackle the root causes of insecurity, including poverty, unemployment, weak local governance, and collapsing rural economies.
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He committed to working with state governments to revitalise community policing, strengthen grassroots intelligence networks, and integrate community vigilance groups, traditional rulers, and local leaders into national security operations.
On troop welfare, Musa was emphatic that frontline personnel require adequate equipment, protection, and motivation. He pledged improved welfare packages, timely allowances, insurance, medical support, and modernised equipment.
Addressing recruitment challenges, he outlined plans to overhaul the system with enhanced intelligence checks and to re-engage fit retired personnel to bolster manpower and preserve institutional knowledge. He dismissed claims that soldiers often wait for orders before engaging criminals as unacceptable.
Musa also highlighted emerging threats, including maritime insecurity along the Akwa Ibom–Cameroon corridor and the link between illegal mining and terrorist financing. He urged the National Assembly to support direct government-to-government procurement of defence equipment to enhance efficiency and transparency, noting the high costs of modern warfare.
He restated a firm opposition to negotiating with terrorists, warning that ransom payments only embolden criminal groups. “There is no negotiation with any criminal,” he said.
The nominee pledged a closed-door briefing to the Senate within weeks of assuming office to present a full security roadmap and identify areas requiring legislative support. He assured Nigerians that improvements in security operations would be evident in the shortest possible time.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio praised Musa’s clarity and depth, endorsing his zero-negotiation stance and acknowledging constitutional gaps highlighted during the screening, particularly the unclear lines of authority among the Ministry of Defence, the CDS, and service chiefs. He assured that the Senate would address these issues in the ongoing constitutional review.
