When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a national security emergency, the Defence Minister, Badaru Abubakar, quietly handed in his resignation and said it was on health grounds. An average Nigerian will ask, how naw. Security is on fire. Kidnappings, banditry and killings are everywhere, and the man in charge writes a letter and steps down. Many people say this looks more like a way to escape pressure than a move for health.
Now Tinubu has picked General Christopher Musa, the ex Chief of Defence Staff, to be the new Minister of Defence. Musa only left the top military job weeks ago after a reshuffle. He has a reputation for being hands on in the field and for running big operations in the Northeast. Some will say this is good. Others will say it is the same old chairs shuffled around. Expertise is welcome. But experience alone will not fix empty radios, no drones and bad intelligence.
Remember the children in Papiri. More than 300 pupils and staff were taken from St Mary’s school. About 50 escaped. The rest are still missing. That fact makes this moment real for millions of parents. It is not abstract. It is a haunted mess of homes and classrooms and nights that mothers dread. No resignation letter heals that fear.
The government did pull 11,566 police officers off VIP duty and say they will go back to the streets. That move is correct. It is basic common sense. But pulling men from convoys does not give them helicopters, or good phones, or satellites, or trust in the community. The job is not only boots on the ground. It is eyes, logistics and honesty.
Putting Musa in charge sends a signal. The signal can mean seriousness. It can also mean more militarised answers to problems that need political fixes. If Musa is to matter, let him be judged by what he delivers. Publish the rescue plan for those still held. Name the commanders and give timelines. Lease the imagery and drones now while you build national capacity. Train new recruits before sending them into forests. Stop secret releases that breed rumours. Invite community leaders and civil society into the plans. No more theatre. No more excuses.
This country is tired. We want our children back. We want to stop running for them at dusk. A new name on a letterhead can help. But only real work will change this. Nigerians can smell the difference between show and service. Let Musa prove he is not another headline.
By Joshua Omoniyi
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