Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday nominated former top military commander General Christopher Musa as new minister of defence as the country grapples with a wave of mass kidnappings.
The nomination of Musa is the latest military leadership shake-up as the Nigerian armed forces face a tumultuous few weeks, and comes as Africa’s most populous country undergoes intense criticism for the handling of its myriad conflicts.
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Musa had been serving as chief of defence staff for the armed forces until October, when Tinubu sacked a slew of the country’s top military brass amid media reports of a coup attempt.
The administration officially denied the reports of a coup plot, though sources across military, intelligence and government told AFP that there had been a foiled plot to oust the country’s civilian leaders and install a junta.
Weeks later, the west African country was hit by a wave of mass kidnappings, including of hundreds of schoolchildren.
While such abductions for ransom are common in the country, the sharp uptick saw Tinubu declare a “nationwide security emergency”.
Separately, Nigeria has faced a diplomatic offensive from the United States, which has alleged that Christians are being killed en masse.
Amid the turmoil, defence minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar resigned on Monday, citing health reasons.
Musa will need to be confirmed by the Senate to take up his new post.
In a letter to the Senate, Tinubu “expressed confidence in General Musa’s ability to lead the Ministry of Defence and further strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture,” according to a statement from the presidency.
AFP