The former Chief of Defence Staff and Minister of Defence-designate, General Christopher Musa, has emphasised that enhancing community resilience is essential to tackling the escalating menace of kidnappings in Nigeria.
Speaking during his ministerial screening before the Senate on Wednesday, General Musa described the rising incidents of mass school abductions as “tragic” and called for a comprehensive, holistic approach to security.
His remarks come amid heightened national concern over insecurity, including recent mass kidnappings, particularly in northern regions.
General Musa, who served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025, was responding to questions from senators following his nomination by President Tinubu to replace the outgoing Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, who resigned citing health reasons.
He highlighted the ongoing Safe Schools Initiative, launched last year, stating, “the issue of kidnapping of students is very unfortunate, but since last year, the Safe Schools Initiative has been implemented. We need to review it critically and ensure the approach is holistic.”
Stressing the localised nature of most crimes, the nominee argued that empowering local communities would enable them to serve as the first line of defence.
“Now, we must build the resilience of our communities because crime is localised. If we are able to build the capacity of the locals themselves, they will be the first responders,” he said.
The screening session, which lasted several hours, saw robust debate among senators, with some initially opposing a “bow and go” privilege for the nominee due to the gravity of national security challenges.
General Musa faced questions on issues ranging from troop deployments to the use of technology in combating crime.
He advocated for greater coordination among security agencies and the cessation of ransom payments, warning that negotiations could embolden criminals.
