Nigeria’s defence minister, Christopher Musa, has rated the Tinubu administration’s security performance at between 65% and 70%, saying terrorism has been significantly reduced but kidnappings remain a major challenge.
Musa made the assessment during an interview on ARISE News on Friday, marking three years of the administration.
“I’ll give ourselves 65 to 70,” he said when asked to assess the government’s performance, adding that no country is free from crime.
“Yes. 65 to 70%. No nation is totally free from crime and criminality,” he said, adding that terrorism had “drastically reduced” nationwide.
The minister said kidnapping was increasingly a social problem rooted in what he described as a breakdown of family values.
“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,” he said.
His remarks came days after a wave of school abductions across Nigeria.
At least 82 pupils were abducted between May 13 and May 15 in separate attacks in Borno and Oyo states.
In Borno, 42 pupils were taken after armed groups attacked schools in Askira Uba and Chibok local government areas on May 13 and May 14.
In Oyo, 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 in Oriire Local Government Area.
During the Oyo attack, mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun was beheaded, a motorcyclist was killed and a security operative died after encountering improvised explosive devices during rescue efforts.
The Defence Headquarters has said the Oyo kidnapping was carried out by members of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad group displaced by military operations in other parts of the country.
Following the Borno attack, authorities temporarily closed and relocated Government Day Secondary School in Mussa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area.
Amnesty International said at least 1,100 people were abducted from January through April 2026, describing the trend as evidence of continued failures in protecting vulnerable communities.
Other recent incidents include the abduction of 23 pupils and a school proprietor’s wife in April during an attack on an orphanage and school facility in the Zariagi area of Lokoja, Kogi State.
Troops later rescued nine victims during Operation Tiger Paw II on May 6.
In November 2025, at least 145 people were kidnapped within four days in Kebbi, Niger and Zamfara states. In one attack in Kebbi, gunmen killed a vice principal and abducted 25 schoolgirls.
Musa said those involved in kidnapping were motivated by greed and a desire to avoid legitimate work.
“People need to understand that to make money, you must work very hard. Don’t look for shortcuts,” he said.
He also cited a recent covert operation in which he said security forces killed a deputy ISIS commander after months of tracking.
“We followed through, ensured we were certain of our target, and when we struck, we got them,” he said.
Musa said security forces were receiving stronger public cooperation than in previous years and praised international partners, including the United States, Britain, France, Brazil and Turkey, for supporting Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts.
He warned that allowing terrorism to take root could have long-term consequences, citing Turkey’s decades-long struggle against insurgency as an example.
