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| General Christopher Musa |
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially nominated General Christopher Gwabin Musa as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence.
In a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu put forward General Musa to succeed Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who stepped down on Monday, December 1, 2025.
In a State House press release signed by
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy,
General Musa, who will be 58 by December 25, is said to be a highly respected military leader.
He served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025 and earned the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012. His nomination signals a continuation of experienced leadership in the country’s defence sector.
Though he was relieved from his position as Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff on October 30, 2025, the transition was widely described as part of a larger shake-up in the Nigerian Armed Forces initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, involving a change in service chiefs to strengthen national security and improve military operational efficiency.
No specific personal reasons for his relief were publicly stated, but the move coincided with reports of an alleged coup plot involving senior officers, which national security observers interpreted as a government strategy to consolidate confidence and discipline within the military.
General Musa retired honorably, hosting a formal pulling-out parade and expressing his pride and clear conscience about his service.
He handed over to General Olufemi Oluyede and later was reported to be appointed Nigeria’s Minister of Defence.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, General Musa received his primary and secondary education there before attending the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation in 1991.
General Musa was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1991 and has since had a distinguished career.
His appointments include General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations at HQ 81 Division; Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion; Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Department of Army Policy and Plans; and Infantry Representative/Member, Training Team, HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps.
In 2019, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations, Headquarters Infantry Centre and Corps; Commander, Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole; and Commander, Sector 3 Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Region.
In 2021, General Musa was appointed Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai. He later became Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before being appointed Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023.
In the letter to the Senate, President Tinubu expressed confidence in General Musa’s ability to lead the Ministry of Defence and further strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
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