Defence minister scores Tinubu administration 70% on security

Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has given the administration of President a 65 to 70 per cent performance rating in the area of security, citing what he described as significant reductions in terrorism across the country.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television, the minister said acts of terrorism had been reduced considerably, with the country now largely dealing with isolated cases of kidnapping and criminality.

“I’ll give ourselves 65 to 70,” he said when asked to assess the government’s performance on security.

“Yes, 65 to 70 per cent. No nation is totally free from crime and criminality. I’m sure you are aware that the level of terrorism across the country has actually drastically reduced. Now we have acts of terrorism, and terrorism, like I said, is a social vice, a failure of family values,” he stated.

The minister argued that the growing wave of kidnappings reflected deeper societal problems rather than solely security lapses.

“We have fathers kidnapping children, children kidnapping each other, brothers kidnapping sisters. It tells you that something is wrong with the family, and we need to look inward to see how we can develop those aspects,” he said.

Commenting on recent incidents involving the abduction of schoolchildren and other victims, the minister warned against the pursuit of wealth through criminal means.

“People need to understand that to make money, you must work very hard. Don’t look for shortcuts. Most of those taking part in kidnappings and related crimes are looking for shortcuts,” he added.

Highlighting recent military operations, the minister pointed to the killing of a deputy commander of ISIS as evidence of improved intelligence gathering and operational effectiveness by Nigerian security forces.

“The recent killing of that deputy ISIS commander was a painstaking operation that began since last year. We followed through, ensured we were certain of our target, and when we struck, we got them. That is what we are doing,” he said.

He also commended Nigerians for providing intelligence and support to security agencies, noting that public cooperation had improved significantly compared to previous years.

“The level of support we’re getting is far better than it used to be, and we’re making more inroads. Nigerians are working with us, and I want to appreciate them,” the minister said.

Despite the government’s optimism, insecurity remains a major concern in several parts of the country, with incidents of kidnapping, banditry and attacks by armed groups continuing to pose challenges to security agencies.