By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd) on Tuesday dismissed reports alleging he had resigned from office, describing the claims as false and malicious, while vowing to take legal action against those responsible for spreading the rumours.
The minister spoke after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, insisting he had neither discussed nor contemplated resigning from his position.
“I am not going anywhere. I have never discussed this. I don’t even know who the person is that brought that information. But whoever it is, we will take legal action against them,” he said.
The minister, who arrived at the Villa at about 3 p.m. and left shortly after 4 p.m., said the reports came as a surprise and were aimed at undermining the Federal Government’s efforts to restore peace and security across the country.
According to him, those behind the speculation were uncomfortable with the progress being made by the nation’s security agencies.
“We are surprised. I was shocked when I saw that. I don’t know where that came from. But you always expect that there will be people who will not be happy when things are going well. Security is improving, things are getting better, and for them, that is a sad point. They always want to make it look as if it is not so,” he said.
Reaffirming his commitment to the administration, the minister maintained that there had been no discussion about his resignation at any point.
“Whoever it is, we will take legal action against them. I am sure we will get them. He will come and explain who gave him such information,” he added.
Speaking on his meeting with President Tinubu, the Defence Minister explained that it was a routine security briefing during which he updated the President on the country’s security situation.
According to him, the President expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Armed Forces and other security agencies.
“I just came back from briefing Mr President on the current security situation, and he is very happy with us. We are going to continue doing well,” he said.
The minister also commended Nigerians for supporting ongoing military operations against terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements, stressing that lasting security requires the cooperation of all citizens.
“I want to seize this opportunity to appreciate Nigerians for all the support.
“The support has been massive. To defeat the terrorists and the bandits is a whole-of-society approach. Nigerians have keyed into it, and things are getting better, and they will continue to improve,” he said.
The resignation rumours surfaced earlier on Tuesday, prompting widespread speculation on social media. However, the minister’s latest remarks have firmly denied the claims, while signalling that those behind the reports could face legal consequences.
