Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has resigned with immediate effect for health reasons, the president’s office confirmed.
The 63-year-old’s departure comes at a time of growing security concerns across the country. The government faces intense pressure to respond to a recent surge in mass kidnappings.
Last week, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that at least 402 people, mostly schoolchildren, had been kidnapped since mid-November.
President Bola Tinubu has nominated retired General Christopher Musa as Abubakar’s replacement. General Musa, 58, previously served as Nigeria’s chief of defence staff from June 2023 until October 2025. He is widely regarded as one of the country’s most experienced military strategists.
Musa is particularly known for leading major counter-insurgency operations against jihadist groups in Nigeria’s north-east.
Security threats continue to escalate. On Sunday, gunmen abducted at least 20 people, including a Christian pastor, a Muslim bride, and her bridesmaids, in two separate raids in northern Nigeria.
Meanwhile, around 250 schoolchildren and 12 teachers remain missing following the largest recent mass kidnapping at a Catholic school in central Niger state.
The perpetrators of these attacks remain unclear. Most analysts suggest criminal gangs seeking ransom are responsible. However, a presidential spokesman told the BBC that the government suspects jihadist groups are behind some of the kidnappings.
