President Bola Tinubu has nominated retired General Christopher Musa as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence, following the resignation of Mohammed Badaru from the position due to health concerns. The nomination was formally conveyed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday.
In a letter to the Senate, President Tinubu expressed confidence in General Musa’s ability to lead the Ministry of Defence and enhance the nation’s security architecture. The President’s Special Adviser subsequently confirmed the announcement on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
“General Musa, aged 58, is a distinguished soldier who served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025,” the statement read. “He is a recipient of the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering, which he won in 2012.”
Born in Sokoto in 1967, General Musa completed his primary and secondary education in the state before attending the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria, where he graduated in 1986. He subsequently enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1991. Upon commissioning as a Second Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army the same year, General Musa embarked on a career marked by a series of significant appointments.
His distinguished service record includes roles as a General Staff Officer 1 (Training and Operations) at HQ 81 Division, Commanding Officer of the 73 Battalion, and Assistant Director of Operational Requirements in the Department of Army Policy and Plans. He also served as an Infantry Representative and a Member of the Training Team at HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps.
In 2019, General Musa commanded Sector 3 of Operation Lafiya Dole and the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad region. He was later appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai in 2021 before becoming Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps. His appointment as Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu followed in 2023.
Mohammed Badaru, who assumed the role of Defence Minister on 21 August 2023, tendered his resignation citing ill health. In his statement, Onanuga noted that President Tinubu had accepted the resignation and expressed gratitude for Badaru’s service. The former minister had recently attracted criticism after comments in a BBC Hausa interview, in which he explained that some terrorist hideouts were too dense for bombing operations.
The resignation and subsequent nomination of General Musa come against the backdrop of President Tinubu’s declaration of a national security emergency, with further details on its implementation expected to be announced in due course. The President is expected to formally notify the Senate of General Musa’s appointment later this week.
Army debunks COAS death rumours, retires 15 Generals
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Nigerian Army officially refuted rumours regarding the death of Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, which circulated widely on social media over the weekend.
The rumours originated from a post that claimed Lagbaja had succumbed to stage three cancer in an undisclosed hospital overseas.
