Defence Minister Christopher Musa has scored the Tinubu administration 65 to 70 per cent on security performance.
He said terrorism had been drastically reduced to isolated kidnapping incidents, even as a wave of school abductions across several states continues to be a big challenge for the nation.
Musa spoke on ARISE News on Friday to mark three years of the administration.
“I’ll give ourselves 65 to 70,” he said when asked to rate the government’s performance, adding that no nation was entirely free from crime.
“Yes. 65 to 70%. No nation is totally free from crime and criminality. I’m sure you are aware that the level of terrorism across the country has actually drastically reduced. Now we have acts of terrorism, and terrorism, like I said, is a social vice, a failure of family values,” he said.
The minister framed kidnapping largely as a societal crisis rather than a security failure, pointing to the breakdown of family structure as the root cause.
“We have fathers kidnapping children, children kidnapping each other, brothers kidnapping sisters. It tells you that something is wrong with the family, and we need to look inward to see how we can develop those aspects,” he said.
His comments come days after a wave of school abductions jolted the country.
At least 82 pupils were abducted between May 13 and 15 during separate attacks in Borno and Oyo states.
In Borno, 42 pupils were kidnapped after armed groups attacked schools in Askira Uba and Chibok local government areas on May 13 and 14.
In Oyo, another 40 pupils were abducted on May 15 during coordinated attacks on Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School, and L.A. Primary School, Esiele, in Oriire Local Government Area.
During the Oyo attack, mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun was beheaded by the gunmen, a motorcyclist was killed, and a security operative died after running into improvised explosive devices planted by the abductors during early rescue attempts.
The Defence Headquarters attributed the Oyo kidnapping to terrorists of the JAS group that had been dislodged from other parts of the country due to high-intensity military operations.
Following the Borno attack, the state government temporarily closed and relocated Government Day Secondary School, Mussa, in Askira/Uba Local Government Area.
Amnesty International said at least 1,100 people had been abducted from January to April 2026 alone, describing the trend as a continuing failure of protection for vulnerable populations.
The Oyo and Borno abductions are the latest in a sustained pattern. In April, gunmen abducted 23 pupils and the wife of a school proprietor in an attack on an orphanage and school facility in the Zariagi area of Lokoja, Kogi State.
Troops of the 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, subsequently rescued the remaining nine victims during coordinated operations on May 6, 2026, under Operation Tiger Paw II.
In November 2025, Nigeria also recorded a resurgence of mass abductions, with at least 145 people kidnapped in Kebbi, Niger, and Zamfara states within four days.
Among those incidents was a raid on a government secondary school in Maga, Kebbi State, in which bandits killed the vice principal and abducted 25 schoolgirls from their hostel.
Musa said those engaged in kidnapping were driven by greed and a refusal to embrace honest labour, calling for a shift in values around wealth creation.
“People need to understand that to make money, you must work very hard. Don’t look for shortcuts. Most of those taking part in kidnappings and related crimes are looking for shortcuts,” he said.
The minister pointed to a recently executed covert operation as evidence of growing operational capacity, saying Nigerian forces had eliminated a deputy ISIS commander following months of careful tracking.
“The recent killing of that deputy ISIS commander was a painstaking operation that began since last year. We followed through, ensured we were certain of our target, and when we struck, we got them. That is what we are doing,” Musa said.
He said the security forces were receiving greater public cooperation than in previous years, which he described as a significant operational advantage.
“The level of support we’re getting is far better than it used to be, and we’re making more inroads. Nigerians are working with us, and I want to appreciate them,” he said.
Musa also highlighted deepening international partnerships, saying the United States, Britain, France, Brazil, and Turkey were actively contributing platforms and expertise to Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts.
“We are working with our partners, the Americans, the British, the French, all of them want Nigeria to succeed. They are bringing platforms we don’t have, and we are working together,” he said.
He warned that allowing terrorism to take root carried generational consequences, drawing on Turkey’s four-decade struggle as a cautionary example.
“Do not allow asymmetric warfare to commence. Do not allow acts of terrorism to take root, it is extremely difficult to reverse. Look at Turkey. It took them 40 years, and it is only now that they are getting over it. We are learning from them, partnering with them, developing our special forces, and getting experience.
“We are also working with the French and the Brazilians. Everyone is putting hands on deck to ensure we achieve success,” Musa added.
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