President Bola Ahmed Tinubu today, Thursday, December 4, 2025, officially administered the oath of office to General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd.) as the substantive Minister of Defence.
The swearing-in ceremony, held at the State House in Abuja, follows General Musa’s successful screening and confirmation by the Senate yesterday, marking a critical appointment aimed at injecting seasoned military leadership into the nation’s high-level security architecture.
The brief ceremony formalized General Musa’s entry into the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and placed him at the helm of the Ministry responsible for overseeing the Armed Forces in their fight against insurgency, banditry, and other security challenges.
Speaking after the ceremony, President Tinubu reportedly charged the new Defence Minister with the crucial task of “consolidating the gains” made by the Armed Forces and immediately re-calibrating the nation’s security strategy to effectively tackle the resurgent crisis of mass kidnappings and banditry, particularly in the North-West and North-Central regions.
General Musa’s appointment is viewed as a strategic pivot by the administration to place a highly decorated and experienced career military officer in the role, unlike his predecessor. His background as former Commander, Operation Hadarin Daji, gives him direct operational experience in the regions currently facing the worst insecurity.
He was confirmed by the Senate after a rigorous screening process where he outlined his strategy, emphasizing the need for enhanced inter-agency cooperation and a focus on military welfare to boost troop morale and combat effectiveness.
The new Defence Minister steps into his role during a declared national security emergency. His immediate priorities are expected to include, developing and executing a decisive strategy to halt the recent wave of mass abductions targeting schools and highways; securing the forests and operating corridors used by bandit groups across the North-West; ensuring seamless and effective coordination among the military, police, and intelligence agencies.
The appointment is seen as a crucial step in strengthening the command and control structure needed to implement the President’s renewed mandate to secure the nation.
