Nigeria's Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), has firmly denied reports suggesting he planned to quit the Federal Executive Council (FEC), describing the claims as both false and alarming. Musa vowed to pursue legal action against those who spread the rumours.
Minister denies resignation reports after meeting with President Tinubu
As reported by TVC News, Musa addressed State House correspondents in Abuja on Tuesday, July 21, following a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu. He made clear that no such discussion had taken place and that he intended to pursue legal action against whoever was behind the story.
"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. "He will come and explain who gave him such information."
Musa links rumours to security progress
The minister suggested the false claims were deliberately timed to undermine public confidence in the administration's gains on security. He said it was not surprising that some quarters would push such narratives precisely when conditions were improving.
"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," Musa said.
He told reporters that his visit to the Presidential Villa was a routine security briefing and that Tinubu expressed satisfaction with the work being done by his team.
"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 added.
Minister speaks on 'security gains'
Musa also used the occasion to thank Nigerians for their cooperation in the country's ongoing fight against terrorism and banditry, saying a broader societal effort had been key to recent improvements.
"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.
Federal government denies rumours of Musa's resignation
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the federal government dismissed as false reports circulating on social media alleging that Minister Musa plans to resign from office. In a statement, the office of the minister described the reports as "malicious" and "entirely fabricated," urging the public to disregard them.
According to the statement, the office's attention was drawn to online reports claiming that General Musa had expressed an intention to step down from his position.
