Christopher Musa vows to overhaul military response, withdraw soldiers from checkpoints and redirect forces to battlefronts as insecurity intensifies across the country.
Nigeria’s newly appointed Defense Minister, General Christopher Musa (Retired), has directed troops to confront armed attackers immediately on sight, insisting they must not delay engagement while waiting for additional orders during life-threatening encounters.
Musa delivered the directive on Wednesday December 3, 2025, during his Senate screening, where lawmakers questioned delays in frontline decision-making during clashes with insurgents, bandits and other armed groups. He said troops deployed to conflict zones are already briefed on the rules of engagement and must act decisively to protect themselves, civilians and the communities under their watch.
“Every personnel member deployed knows why they are deployed,” he told senators. “If someone is aiming to shoot at you, you cannot be waiting for orders. You automatically have that responsibility once you’re in the field.”
The minister said any soldier claiming to await authorization in the face of imminent danger is “misrepresenting the mandate,” stressing that hesitation puts lives at risk. He added that bridging gaps in field command was critical to restoring public confidence in the military’s response to growing insecurity.
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Musa also announced plans to withdraw soldiers from routine checkpoints nationwide and redeploy them to active theatres of conflict. He said the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps would take over checkpoint duties, enabling troops to focus on clearing armed groups from forests and difficult terrain.
“What we want is for soldiers to go into the bushes and take out these criminals,” he said. “People must be able to go back to their farms. If people cannot eat, imagine the consequences.”
He described the rise in mass killings across several regions as a crisis affecting all Nigerians, warning that criminal groups exploit weak coordination between communities and security agencies. The minister called the perpetrators “a bunch of evil people… on drugs,” insisting that no citizen should lose their life to violence.
On recruitment, Musa said the ministry was strengthening background checks to prevent sabotage within the ranks. He noted that some applicants avoid conflict postings while certain states contribute fewer recruits, despite more than 70,000 applications received this cycle. He said recruitment reforms would ensure national balance and commitment among new entrants.
Musa also proposed engaging retired military personnel, arguing that their decades of operational experience remain a valuable national asset.
Looking ahead, he acknowledged the high expectations surrounding his appointment. “I know I cannot afford to fail myself, my nation or my family,” he said, pledging to close longstanding security gaps and improve coordination across Nigeria’s defense architecture.