The Minister of Defence, Gen Christopher Musa (retd.), on Tuesday dismissed reports claiming he had resigned, describing them as false and vowing to take legal action against those responsible for spreading the rumours.
Speaking to journalists after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Musa said he was “shocked” by the reports and had never discussed stepping down.
“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.
“Whoever it is, we will take legal action against them. I am sure we will get them, and the person will explain who gave them such information.”
Musa arrived at the Presidential Villa at about 3 p.m. and left shortly after 4 p.m., amid speculation over his tenure.
He dismissed the resignation claims as an attempt by critics to undermine public confidence in the government’s security efforts, insisting that the country’s security situation was improving.
“We are surprised. I was shocked when I saw that. I don’t know where that came from,” he said.
“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.”
The minister said his meeting with the President was a routine security briefing, adding that Tinubu expressed satisfaction with the military’s performance.
“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,” Musa said.
He also appealed for continued public support for the military and other security agencies, describing civilian cooperation as essential to the fight against terrorism and banditry.
“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 said.
Musa was appointed Minister of Defence by President Tinubu on 2 December 2025 after serving as Chief of Defence Staff from July 2023.
