The Senate on Wednesday confirmed the nomination of a former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, as Minister of Defence after a five-hour grilling by the lawmakers.
General Musa, the immediate past CDS, was confirmed by the lawmakers following the screening at the Senate chambers, a day after President Bola Tinubu nominated him for the position.
His screening came at the time of heightened insecurity in Nigeria, with mass abductions, especially in schools, becoming commonplace. One such incident was the kidnapping of 25 students in Maga, Kebbi State, with reports that troops left just before the assailants stormed the school.
General Musa said one of the first things he would do is to probe the alleged withdrawal of the troops, insisting that the military is not known for cowardice.
“We are going to go after them fully, working together with all the security agencies and Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (of government),” the minister, who was the dressed in a brown kaftan and a hula (cap), said at the event attended by his family members, among others.
“We are going to investigate fully. The Armed Forces have a way, and then from the defence, we are going to make sure that we continue with the oversight over their activities.”
