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Fight Against Insecurity: The Second Coming of General Christopher Gwabin Musa

Published

3 months ago

December 7, 2025

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The confirmation by the Nigerian Senate of General Christopher Gwabin Musa as the new Minister of Defence, came as a welcome development to not a few Nigerians, just days after he was honorably retired from the army, having reached the pinnacle of his military career as the Chief of Defence Staff.

Musa’s appointment comes at a time of heightened insecurity in Nigeria with mass abductions, banditry, and kidnapping taking centre stage across parts of the country.

President Donald Trump of US had threatened military action in Nigeria over the killings and what he described as the mass slaughter of Christians, prompting the Federal Government to ramp up security measures, including a reshuffle of security chiefs, which also affected the new defence minister.

The confirmation followed a screening session that featured questions and answers, which lasted over three hours.

During the exercise, Musa criticised negotiations with bandits and assured lawmakers that, under his leadership, the Defence Ministry would intensify efforts to dislodge criminal groups terrorising the country.

He also faulted the deradicalisation of repentant Boko Haram members into society, insisting that terrorists should face stricter punitive measures.

The then minister-designate called for increased funding for military operations, noting that many essential fighting equipment are still being imported.

Recalled that on October 24, 2025, President Bola Tinubu replaced General Musa as the CDS with General Olufemi Oluyede, who was hitherto the Chief of Army Staff. But in a twist of fate, Musa, who had unceremoniously made plans for his retirement, was suddenly recalled to come and supervise the Defence Ministry to sustain the fight against insurgency and terrorism. It would also be recalled that Tinubu’s documented reason for removing Musa, was to give the fight against insurgency a new lease of life.

Nigerians are still wondering what changed just weeks after the President’s announcement through his media aide, Bayo Onanuga as follows:

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Gwabin Musa as the new Minister of Defence.

In a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu conveyed General Musa’s nomination as the successor to Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who resigned on Monday.

General Musa, 58, on December 25, is a distinguished soldier who served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025. He won the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.

Born in Sokoto in 1967, General Musa received his primary and secondary education there before attending the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation in 1991.

General Musa was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1991 and has since had a distinguished career. His appointments include General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations at HQ 81 Division; Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion; Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Department of Army Policy and Plans; and Infantry Representative/Member, Training Team, HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps.

In 2019, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations, Headquarters Infantry Centre and Corps; Commander, Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole; and Commander, Sector 3 Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Region.

In 2021, General Musa was appointed Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai. He later became Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before being appointed Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023.

In the letter to the Senate, President Tinubu expressed confidence in General Musa’s ability to lead the Ministry of Defence and further strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture

Much as the reappointment of General Musa into the defence architecture was much applauded by a large number of Nigerians across ethnic and political divide, many are wondering why he had to be removed in the first place, and posited such inquiries as if the threats of the United States and President Donald Trump form the reason behind the second coming of the the General.

In as many years, especially in the last 10 years, and more especially during the last two years of the Tinubu administration, Nigerians, in their numbers have had reasons to fault any appointments made by the government, considering it as a loyalty based, compensation or outright placeholding, but with the appointment of General Musa, Nigerians witnessed an appointment everyone can agree on. Many described it as round peg in round hole, or square peg in square hole depending on the individual’s choice of grammar.

But Musa’s return will be to a great personal sacrifice as his life out of the military was beginning to take just before the national recall on December 2.

Among some of the assignments the retired General had set out to begin was his appointment as a member of the board of directors of Midlothian Angel Network (Midlo Angels), one of North America’s fastest-growing angel investment networks.

Described as a decorated veteran, who previously served as Chief of Defence Staff of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, leading the Armed Forces with a focus on strategic modernisation, inter-agency coordination, and international security partnerships, Musa received one of his post-retirement assignments.

Announcing the appointment, Board Chair of Midlothian Angel Network, Tomie Balogun, said the appointment of Musa marks another milestone in Midlo’s mission to foster cross-border investment between the United States and Africa through disciplined governance, visionary leadership, and global collaboration.

But for those wondering what next Musa has to offer, having served in one of the security aparachnik, the officer said:

“It is that synergy that we need to build on and work on, and that’s what we are going to do. I can assure you, within the shortest possible time, Nigerians will see results.

“I want to use this medium to appreciate all Nigerians. Nigerians have shown me love, and I will guarantee them that I am going to work, whatever it takes, to ensure that Nigeria is secured.”

A promise, no doubt, but that falls within the ranks of what Nigerians wish to hear at a time like this when insecurity lamented in kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and genocide are practiced with impunity, and the government seems helpless.

The second coming of Musa may trigger an era where ransom payment will become a thing of the past as he noted while addressing the Senate during his confirmation that the act “compromises security” and undermines the fight against criminals.

He also hinted that “The use of technology is very important. Like I said, if we are able to have a database – every Nigerian has a number linked to everything you have electronically – we can monitor everything”

A general analysis of Musa’s agenda for the next era of Nigeria’s security reorganization points to the following:

A rigorous review of all theatre commands and inter-service operations.
Zero tolerance for corruption, indiscipline, and indolence in the ministry.
Emphasis on troop welfare is for morale boosting.
Leveraging on technology and intelligence to drive defence operations and minimize civilian casualties.
Use of data, not conjecture, to guide military decisions and accountability.
Loyalty to the President with commitment to a balanced kinetic and non-kinetic approach.

Sometime in August 2025, Musa hinted on the possible arrest of terrorism kingpins, during a television interview, saying ‘we know them’.

He assured that the process of identifying and prosecuting terrorism financiers in Nigeria is ongoing, stressing that the matter involves legal complexities.

“I think the process is on, I can speak for this government … and because it has to do with a lot of legal issues and because again, it has to do with international connections. Some of them have funds coming from outside, we cannot do anything from within.

“We know them. The local ones, what they do normally is to employ a few individuals, provide motorcycles for them and those ones are remitting funds daily into some accounts. So, it’s being tracked. They try to circulate these monies and that’s why it’s important for us to be able to track the funds.

“The NFIU has been doing so much, apart from the intelligence set up, the financial links are also being followed through and through and arrests have been made. I can assure you the Attorney-General of the Federation, the NSA (Nuhu Ribadu) are all working seriously to ensure that we address those issues.

“You know criminals work together. They synergise their efforts together, both the bandits and terrorists, because one, a common goal, they want to make money, they want to make sure communities are suffering for whatever reason. And again, some part of politics, when there is peace, it shows the government is doing well and when there is no peace it shows the government is not doing well.

“You realise that last year, we had the least number of deaths, then, how come suddenly everything has gone up? Because politics has come in, elections are coming in. You cannot rule out the fact that some individuals are making sure there is no peace. The funny thing is that how do you want to kill the people you want to govern? What do you gain from it?” Musa had said.

However, Nigerians are no longer interested in much talks, but need actions that would guarantee sleeping with both eyes closed, travel to any part of the country with fear of being kidnapped and send children to school rest assured. These are, and should be the priorities of Musa on his second coming!

DEFENCE MINISTER CHRIS MUSA’S BRIEF BIO

Christopher Gwabin Musa (Retd.) is a distinguished Nigerian military officer who served as Chief of Defence Staff from June 2023 until his retirement on October 31, 2025, after 39 years and four months of dedicated service.

His career spans over three decades of strategic leadership, operational excellence, and national service across various theatres of operation, notably in counter-terrorism, national security, and peacekeeping. He was previously Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Nigeria’s counter-insurgency mission in the North East, where he was recognised for operational discipline, collaborative leadership, and his focus on civilian protection.

A graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), General Musa also completed senior-level training at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (Jaji) and the National Defence College. He holds advanced certifications in defence strategy, national security, and management and has completed executive education programmes both locally and internationally, demonstrating his lifelong commitment to service and excellence.

Featured

Shiites Protest in Kano over Killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader

Published

17 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Eric

Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, on Sunday, took to the streets of Kano metropolis to protest the killing of the Supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following a joint attack by the US-Israel on Saturday.

The demonstrators, who are simply known as Shiites, trooped out in their numbers at about 2.30pm in and trekked from the Fegge Central Mosque the Islamic Movement headquarters situated at Kofar Waika in the State capital.

The demonstration, adjudged peaceful, lasted for about two hours, terminating after 4.00pm.

The demonstration was followed by speeches by their scholars that spoke about the state of affairs in the Middle East and its implications on the rest of the world. A special prayer was also offered seeking Allahs intervention for the people of Iran.

The Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abudulhi Haruna Kiyawa, resisted attempts to persuade hims for official reaction to the demonstration.

Featured

Innovation Meets Vision As Glo Partners Samsung to Unveil New Galaxy S26

Published

4 days ago

February 27, 2026

Eric

In a convergence of technology and vision, digital solutions leader Globacom has entered a partnership with global electronics giant Samsung to introduce the much-anticipated Galaxy S26 Series to the Nigerian market. It is a device conceived for a generation that lives, works and dreams in real time.

The unveiling, held at Globacom’s corporate headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos, gathered an august assembly of high-net-worth customers, industry figures and members of the media. The atmosphere was not merely ceremonial; it was symbolic — a quiet affirmation that when global engineering meets indigenous connectivity, innovation finds its true signal.

As part of the partnership, Globacom has commenced an exclusive pre-order window for its subscribers. Each Galaxy S26 purchased at any Gloworld outlet nationwide is bundled with 18GB of complimentary data under the Glo Smartphone Festival Data Plans delivered as 3GB monthly for six months.

In addition, customers receive a distinguished Platinum Number eSIM, accompanied by up to 10GB of extra data monthly. It is a proposition crafted not as an afterthought, but as a deliberate statement of value.

The Galaxy S26 Series itself is a study in assured sophistication. It fuses next-generation processing power with a sleek, immersive display, enhanced camera intelligence, durable battery performance and privacy screen technology. Its Agentic AI capabilities introduce a more intuitive user experience, one that anticipates need, protects data and enhances productivity.

In essence, it is a device built not merely to function, but to empower.

Speaking at the event, Samsung’s Product Manager, Sellout Platinum, Mr. Solomon Osibeluwo, described Globacom as the first partner to host the S26 masterclass session — a testament, he noted, to the enduring strength of the relationship between both organisations. He reaffirmed Samsung’s commitment to deepening this alliance, adding that the S26 Series has been meticulously engineered to enrich the calling, browsing and overall digital experience of Nigerians.

In his address, Globacom’s Head of Gloworld, Mr Mohamed Rabie, underscored that the collaboration is anchored on delivering real and measurable value. Premium technology, he remarked, must travel with meaningful benefit. He expressed pride that Globacom stands as the first partner to offer both the masterclass engagement and immediate pre-order advantages following the device’s launch in Nigeria.

Encouraging Nigerians to experience the device firsthand at Gloworld outlets nationwide, Rabie concluded with quiet conviction: “this moment transcends the unveiling of a smartphone. It signals the unfolding of new possibilities powered by intelligence, sustained by partnership, and carried on the dependable wings of connectivity”.

Featured

FCCPC Uncovers Patterns of Price Manipulation by Local Airlines

Published

4 days ago

February 26, 2026

Eric

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has uncovered patterns of price manipulation perpetrated by some local airlines during the last festive season.

The findings are contained in the interim report released on Thursday by the Commission’s department of Surveillance and Investigations, according to a statement signed by the Director, Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, and made available to The Boss.

Recall that the Commission announced an industry-wide investigation earlier in January.

The forensic exercise benefitted from data collated by the Commission from airlines operating local routes in the country.

The report compares domestic airline pricing from the December 2025 festive period with post-peak January 2026 fare levels.

Preliminary analysis indicates that fares recorded during the December peak were materially higher than those observed in the post-peak period across several routes despite relative stability in critical operating variables like fuel price, government taxes and foreign exchange.

The differences observed in fares therefore appear to reflect airlines’ arbitrary pricing decisions, including yield management and capacity allocation, rather than any variation in regulatory fees.

Route-level analysis shows that higher fares coincided with periods of reduced seat availability during predictable seasonal demand peaks. On some high density routes, peak fares were clustered within relatively narrow ranges across several operators.

For instance, on certain corridors like Abuja-Port Harcourt, peak fares were several times higher than corresponding post-peak levels. On selected routes, the difference in the price of a single ticket reached approximately ₦405,000. Median fares across the sampled routes also rose markedly during the festive window when compared with post-peak benchmarks.

However, the interim report recognises that seasonal demand pressures, scheduling constraints and fleet utilisation may also affect pricing during peak travel periods.

These factors remain under consideration as part of the Commission’s ongoing review.

Commenting on the release of the interim report, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the review is part of the Commission’s statutory responsibility to promote competitive markets and safeguard consumers.

“This assessment is intended to provide clarity on pricing behaviour during predictable peak travel periods. The Commission’s role is not to disrupt legitimate commercial activity, but to ensure that market outcomes remain consistent with competition and consumer protection principles under the law,” Mr. Bello said.

He noted that the Commission is conducting further structural and route-level analysis before reaching any conclusions.

“It is important to emphasise that this is an interim report. Our next action will be dictated by full facts established at the end of the review exercise. Then, the Commission will decide whether any regulatory guidance, engagement or enforcement steps are necessary, strictly in accordance with the law,” he said.

The report identifies the possible relevance of Sections 59, 72, 107, 108, 124 and 127 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, which respectively address the prohibition of agreements in restraint of competition, the prohibition of abuse of a dominant position, the offence of price-fixing, conspiracy to commit offences under the Act, the right to fair dealings, and the prohibition of unfair, unreasonable or unjust contract terms.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bello announced that foreign airlines will come under FCCPC radar after the ongoing review of local airlines in view of widespread complaints of exploitative fares they allegedly charge Nigerians on certain routes compared to fares in neighbouring countries that are of equal distance.