UPDATED: Tinubu Swears-In General Christopher Musa As Defence Minister
He is taking over at a time of heightened insecurity in Nigeria with mass abductions, banditry becoming commonplace.
President Bola Tinubu has sworn-in General Christopher Musa as the country’s minister of defence in a major push to restructure Nigeria’s security setup.
Musa’s swearing-in ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, a day after a five-hour grilling by the Senate, leading to his confirmation.
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, also shared a photo of Musa’s oath of office-taking event on his X handle.
General Christopher Musa takes oath of office as Nigeria’s new Defence minister. pic.twitter.com/rYkyb5s1Kx
— Bayo Onanuga, OON, CON (@aonanuga1956) December 4, 2025
Addresing pressmen after the short event in the president’s office, Musa promised to secure Nigeria, asking for support from the citizens.
He assured that of his results “soon” in the country’s push to tackle insecurity.
“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,” the newly-sworn-in minister said.
“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.
His appointment comes at a time of heightened insecurity in Nigeria with mass abductions, banditry, and kidnapping taking centre stage across parts of the country.
President Donald Trump of US had threatened military action in Nigeria over the killings and what he described as the mass slaughter of Christians, prompting the Federal Government to ramp up security measures, including a reshuffle of security chiefs.
During his screening at the Senate on Wednesday, Musa, the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), decried the rising levels of kidnapping for ransom.
But he believes with the use of technology, security agencies can track the payment of such monies. He told the Senators that ransom payment fuels banditry, ruling out the need for negotiation with criminals.
“The use of technology is very important. Like I said, if are able to have a database – every Nigerian has a number linked to everything you have electronically – we can monitor everything,” Musa, Nigeria’s CDS between June 2023 and October 2025, said.
According to him, the payment of ransom “compromises security” and undermines the fight against criminals.
A General’s Return
General Christopher Musa (retd.) was confirmed as Minister of Defence on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, after a five-hour screening by the Senate.
On Tuesday, Tinubu nominated Musa as the defence minister, sending a letter to the Senate to confirm the ex-CDS for the position left vacant after Mohammed Badaru’s resignation the previous day.
Tinubu told the 109-member Senate of his confidence in Musa’s abilities to lead Nigeria’s security setup.
A day after that, the 57-year-old was screened and confirmed as the West African nation’s substantive minister of defence, taking over one of Nigeria’s most important offices.
