Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), has dismissed reports claiming he resigned from office, describing the speculation as false and announcing plans to institute legal proceedings against those responsible for spreading the story.
Musa made the declaration on Tuesday after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, insisting that he had neither contemplated nor discussed stepping down from his position.
“I am not going anywhere. I have never discussed this. I don’t even know who the person is that brought that information. But whoever it is, we will take legal action against them,” Musa said.
The Defence Minister, who arrived at the State House at about 3 p.m. and left shortly after 4 p.m., said the claims of his resignation were entirely unfounded.
Reiterating his resolve to pursue those behind the reports, Musa maintained that the source of the allegation would be identified and held accountable.
“Whoever it is, we will take legal action against them. I am sure we will get them. He will come and explain who gave him such information,” he said.
Musa expressed surprise that such reports had gained traction, arguing that they were being circulated by individuals unhappy with the progress being recorded in the country’s security sector.
“We are surprised. I was shocked when I saw that. I don’t know where that came from. But you always expect that there will be people who will not be happy when things are going well. Security is improving, things are getting better, and for them, that is a sad point. They always want to make it look as if it is not so,” he said.
Addressing the purpose of his meeting with President Tinubu, the minister explained that it was part of routine consultations on national security and disclosed that the President expressed satisfaction with ongoing military operations
“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,” he said.
Musa also used the opportunity to commend Nigerians for supporting security agencies in the fight against terrorism, banditry and other forms of criminality, stressing that public cooperation remains critical to achieving lasting peace.
“I want to seize this opportunity to appreciate Nigerians for all the support.
“The support has been massive. To defeat the terrorists and the bandits is a whole-of-society approach. Nigerians have keyed into it, and things are getting better, and they will continue to improve,” he stated.
The former Chief of Defence Staff was appointed Minister of Defence by President Tinubu on December 2, 2025, after serving as the nation’s top military officer from July 2023. He has consistently overseen the Federal Government’s security operations since assuming the ministerial role.
(Ripples)