Special Reports

Nigeria’s defence minister dismisses resignation reports, threatens legal action

“I’m not going anywhere. I have never discussed resignation. I don’t even know the person who brought that information. Whoever is behind it will face legal action and explain where such information came from,” he said.

The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has dismissed reports linking him with resignation, warning that legal action would be taken against those behind the false claim.

He described the report as baseless, insisting he had never discussed resigning from office.

“I’m not going anywhere. I have never discussed resignation. I don’t even know the person who brought that information.

“Whoever is behind it will face legal action and explain where such information came from,” he said.

Mr Musa said he was surprised by the report of the resignation, attributing it to individuals who were uncomfortable with the progress being recorded in the security sector.

“I too was shocked when I saw it. I don’t know where it came from, but you should expect that some people will not be happy when things are going well. The security situation is improving,” he said.

The minister said President Tinubu expressed satisfaction with the nation’s improving security situation during the briefing.

“I just came back from briefing Mr President on the current security situation, and he is very happy with us. We are going to continue doing well,” Mr Musa said.

He thanked Nigerians for supporting the armed forces, saying the growing public cooperation was contributing significantly to ongoing successes against terrorists and bandits.

“The support has been massive, and you can see the changes.

“Defeating terrorists and bandits requires a whole-of-society approach, and Nigerians have embraced that. Things are getting better, and they will continue to improve,” he said.

Mr Musa, a former chief of defence staff, was appointed defence minister last December. He replaced Mohammed Abubakar, who resigned his position days earlier.