Defence Minister, Christopher Musa has rated the administration of President Bola Tinubu between 65 and 70 per cent in its handling of security challenges.
He insisted that terrorism across the country has significantly declined despite ongoing kidnapping incidents.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News to commemorate the administration’s third anniversary, Musa said no country is completely free from criminality, adding that Nigeria had made notable progress in combating terrorism.
“I’ll give ourselves 65 to 70 per cent. No nation is totally free from crime and criminality. The level of terrorism across the country has drastically reduced. What we are mostly seeing now are isolated acts of terrorism and kidnappings,” he said.
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The defence minister described kidnapping as a growing social problem tied to the breakdown of family values and moral standards.
“We now see fathers kidnapping children, brothers kidnapping sisters, and people abducting members of their own communities. It tells you that something is fundamentally wrong within society, and we must address those issues from the family level,” Musa stated.
His comments come amid renewed concern over a series of school abductions recorded in parts of the country in recent weeks.
Between May 13 and 15, at least 82 pupils were reportedly abducted during attacks in Borno and Oyo states.
In Borno State, armed groups attacked schools in Askira Uba and Chibok local government areas, abducting 42 pupils. In Oyo State, another 40 pupils were kidnapped during coordinated attacks on schools in Oriire Local Government Area.
During the Oyo incident, a mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was killed, alongside a motorcyclist and a security operative involved in rescue efforts.
The Defence Headquarters later linked the attack to suspected members of the JAS faction displaced from other regions due to intensified military operations.
Musa maintained that many kidnappers were motivated by greed and the desire for quick wealth.
“People must understand that genuine wealth comes through hard work. Many of those involved in kidnappings are simply looking for shortcuts,” he said.
The minister also highlighted recent military gains against insurgents, citing the killing of a deputy ISIS commander during a coordinated operation carried out after months of surveillance and intelligence gathering.
“The operation against the ISIS deputy commander started last year. We monitored the target carefully and ensured we had the right intelligence before striking successfully,” he explained.
According to him, security agencies are now enjoying improved cooperation from Nigerians, which he described as a major boost to ongoing counter-terrorism operations.
“The support we are receiving from citizens today is far better than before, and it is helping us make more progress. Nigerians are increasingly working with us, and we appreciate that,” he added.
Musa further disclosed that Nigeria was strengthening partnerships with countries including the United States, Britain, France, Brazil and Turkey in the fight against terrorism.
“We are collaborating closely with our international partners. They are providing support, expertise and platforms we previously did not have access to,” he said.
The defence minister warned that terrorism becomes extremely difficult to eliminate once deeply rooted, citing Turkey’s decades-long struggle against insurgency as an example.
“Once asymmetric warfare takes root, reversing it becomes extremely difficult. Turkey battled it for about 40 years before making substantial progress. We are learning from their experience while also developing our special forces and operational capacity,” Musa said.
