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The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has assessed the security performance of the President Bola Tinubu administration at 65 to 70 per cent, saying the government has made significant progress in curbing terrorism, though kidnapping and other violent crimes remain a major challenge.
Musa made the assessment during an interview on Arise News on Friday, as part of activities marking the administration’s third anniversary.
He said while insecurity has not been completely eliminated, the intensity of terrorist activities has reduced, with remaining incidents largely manifesting as kidnappings and other criminal acts across the country.
According to him, no country is entirely free of crime, adding that Nigeria’s security situation should be viewed within that global context.
“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 attributed the persistence of kidnapping and related crimes partly to deeper societal issues, arguing that breakdowns in family and social values were contributing to criminal behaviour.
He cited cases where individuals within families were implicated in abductions, describing it as evidence of broader moral and social decay that required urgent attention beyond security interventions.
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.
Musa said the government was intensifying efforts to tackle the crisis, noting that security forces were increasingly focusing on intelligence-led operations and long-term tracking of high-value targets.
He also claimed that a recent covert operation led to the killing of a senior ISIS-linked commander after months of surveillance.
“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.
According to him, security agencies were receiving improved cooperation from citizens, which he said had strengthened ongoing operations against criminal networks.
He further disclosed that Nigeria was working closely with international partners, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Brazil and Turkey, to enhance its counter-terrorism capabilities through equipment support and training.
Musa warned that allowing terrorism to become deeply rooted would have long-term consequences, citing other countries’ prolonged struggles with insurgency as examples.
He said Nigeria was learning from such experiences while strengthening its special forces and expanding security partnerships to improve national response to asymmetric threats.
“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.
“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.
“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 added.
His comments came shortly after renewed attacks on schools in different parts of the country, including incidents in Borno and Oyo states, where dozens of pupils were abducted.
In the Borno attacks, armed groups reportedly kidnapped 42 pupils from schools in Askira Uba and Chibok local government areas, while in Oyo State, 40 pupils were abducted during coordinated raids on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area.
During the Oyo incident, a teacher was killed by the attackers, alongside other casualties recorded during rescue attempts involving security operatives.
The Defence Headquarters had attributed the Oyo attack to elements of the JAS faction, which it said had been displaced by ongoing military operations in other parts of the country.
Amnesty International has estimated that more than 1,100 people were abducted across Nigeria between January and April 2026, describing the trend as a continuing protection failure.
