Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), has dismissed reports claiming he resigned from office, describing them as false and vowing to take legal action against those responsible for spreading the rumours.
Musa made the declaration on Tuesday after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Reacting to the reports, the minister said he had never discussed stepping down from office and was surprised by the claims.
“I am not going anywhere. I have never discussed this. I don’t even know who the person is that brought that information,” he said.
He warned that those behind the false reports would be identified and prosecuted.
“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,” Musa added.
The minister said the rumours were aimed at undermining public confidence in the Federal Government’s efforts to improve security across the country.
According to him, some individuals were unhappy with the progress being recorded in the fight against terrorism and banditry.
“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.
Musa explained that his meeting with President Tinubu was a routine security briefing, adding that the President expressed satisfaction with the military’s ongoing 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.
The minister also appealed to Nigerians to continue supporting security agencies with credible information, stressing that defeating terrorists and bandits requires the cooperation of both the military and the public.
“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 added.
President Tinubu nominated Musa as Minister of Defence on December 2, 2025, after he served as Chief of Defence Staff from July 2023.
