Retired General Christopher Gwabin Musa, former Chief of Defence Staff, has officially taken the oath of office as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence, pledging to prioritize the protection of lives and national territory at a time of escalating banditry and kidnappings.

The swearing-in ceremony, presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, came just hours after Musa’s confirmation by the Senate.

Musa’s nomination on Tuesday followed the resignation of Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who stepped down citing health concerns. During a five-hour Senate screening on Wednesday, lawmakers pressed the 58-year-old Sokoto-born general on recent lapses, including the controversial troop withdrawal that preceded the abduction of 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State. Musa promised a full investigation into the incident and vowed decisive action against insecurity once in office.

Born in 1967, Musa graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1991 and steadily rose through the ranks. He served as Theatre Commander for Operation Hadin Kai in 2021, later as Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps, and as Chief of Defence Staff from June 2023 until his retirement in October 2025. A recipient of the 2012 Colin Powell Award for Soldiering, Musa met Tinubu privately on Monday, hours before Badaru’s resignation.

In his letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu expressed confidence in Musa’s “distinguished career” to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture. Akpabio referred the nomination to the Foreign Affairs Committee for swift screening, which cleared the path for Musa’s confirmation. Presidential adviser Bayo Onanuga confirmed the swearing-in via X, noting Musa’s immediate readiness to assume leadership.

The appointment aligns with Tinubu’s nationwide security emergency declaration last month, which included recruiting 20,000 new police officers and deploying forest guards. Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang hailed Musa as “gallant and competent,” while critics such as PDP’s Deji Adeyanju questioned the speed of the process amid ongoing probes into military setbacks, including the killing of Brigadier-General Musa Uba in Borno.

As Musa takes charge, he faces immediate challenges: rescuing hostages from Niger’s Catholic school and curbing abductions across the northwest. Addressing senators during his screening, he stressed that poverty and hunger fuel insecurity, echoing calls for holistic approaches beyond military action.