Christopher Musa has rated the security performance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration between 65 and 70 percent, saying terrorism across Nigeria has reduced significantly despite persistent kidnapping cases.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News to mark the administration’s third year in office, Musa said no country is completely free from crime and criminality.
According to him, the country has moved from widespread terrorism to more isolated incidents, particularly kidnappings.
The minister argued that many kidnapping cases reflected deeper social and family problems, saying incidents now involve relatives and close associates abducting one another for ransom.
His remarks come amid renewed public concern over insecurity following recent school abductions in Borno State and Oyo State.
Reports indicated that at least 82 pupils were abducted between May 13 and 15 during separate attacks in both states.
In Oyo State, gunmen attacked schools in Oriire Local Government Area, abducting pupils and killing mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun, alongside other casualties during rescue attempts.
Musa stated that Nigerian security forces were making progress through intelligence-led operations and increased cooperation from citizens.
He cited the recent killing of a deputy ISIS commander as evidence of improved operational capacity, describing it as the result of a long-term covert operation.
The minister also highlighted growing international military cooperation with countries including the United States, Britain, France, Brazil and Turkey, saying the partnerships were helping Nigeria improve counter-terrorism operations and special forces training.
He warned against allowing terrorism to become deeply rooted, referencing Turkey’s decades-long struggle with insurgency as an example of how difficult such conflicts can become over time.
