?President Bola Tinubu, yesterday swore in retired Gen. Christopher Musa as the new Minister of Defence.?
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?The president administered the oath of office on Musa in his office
at the State House, Abuja.
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?Tinubu had described  Musa as a “fine gentleman” whose track record in service positions him to drive a more integrated national security response.”
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?The new defence minister’s appointment comes less than 48 hours after the resignation of his predecessor, Alhaji Badaru Abubakar.
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?Musa, 58, served as the Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 to Oct. 2025, during which he oversaw broad counterterrorism operations and inter-agency coordination efforts.
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?His nomination was transmitted to the Senate on Tuesday and was swiftly confirmed after rigorous screening on Wednesday, a development Tinubu praised as an evidence of legislative support for his security vision.
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?With the swearing-in now complete, Musa assumes full ministerial duties as the Tinubu administration pushes to consolidate recent gains and accelerate reforms aimed at delivering lasting peace and national stability.
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?The brief ceremony was attended by top government officials including Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu and thd Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris
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?Musa told State House Correspondents after the event that he would ensure better synergy among the Armed Forces to tackle terrorism and all forms of insecurity in the country.
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?”My immediate priority is to make sure that defence takes its place fully in the country.
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?”The synergy between the armed forces and other security agencies and all Nigerians being carried along as we have always said, that security is everybody’s responsibility.
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?” It is that synergy that we need to build on and work on it, and that’s what we’re going to and I can assure you, within the shortest possible time, Nigerians will see results.
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?” I want to use this medium to appreciate all Nigerians. Nigerians have shown me love, and I will guarantee them that I am going to work whatever it takes to ensure that Nigeria is secured,” he said.

The five students of the Rivers State University (RSU), Emohua satellite campus in Emohua Local Government Area of the state who were recently kidnapped, have regained freedom from their captors.

The students spent three days in the hands of their abductors before being rescued through the combined efforts of the police and other security agents in the state.

In a statement by the police spokesperson in the state, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, yesterday, the police rescued the five students unhurt from their abductors at the early hours of yesterday.

The statement listed the rescued victims as: Prince London ‘M’, Azubuike Kelechukwu ‘M’, Elizabeth Aniete ‘F’, Onyebuchi Precious ‘M’, and London Sampson ‘M’.

The police further disclosed that the victims had been taken to the hospital for medical examination, while efforts are ongoing to track down and arrest the fleeing cultists/abductors.

According to the police, the students were abducted by yet-to-be-identified cultists from their isolated residences but were later rescued unhurt.

The statement read in part; “The rescue operation was conducted at Rumudogo 2 Community in Emuoha Local Government Area of Rivers State by the Command’s Tactical Teams, in collaboration with other sister security agencies and with the support of the community.”

The Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, warned the perpetrators that the police would not relent until all those involved are apprehended and made to face the full wrath of the law.

He also urged continued collaboration from sister security agencies, community stakeholders, and the general public to enhance policing efforts across the State.

Adepoju also advised residents to go about their lawful activities without fear, assuring them that “their safety is our priority.”

Meanwhile, the authorities of the university have suspended academic activities in the Emohua campus following persistent security challenges in the area.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, disclosed this while addressing students of Emohua campus following the kidnapping of the five students on Tuesday morning.

The students had, among other demands, urged the school authority to suspend all academic activities in the campus and relocate them to the main campus.

However, the Chairman of Emohua Local Government Council, Dr. Chidi Lloyd, has appealed to the management of the university not to shut down the Emohua Campus, promising to provide the necessary logistics to strengthen security of lives and property within the institution.

Akujobi Amadi & King Onunwor