Nigeria’s Minister of Defence has resigned, citing health reasons, even as the country continues to face a surge in kidnappings and armed attacks issues widely believed to be the real reason behind his departure.
The resignation of Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who had not appeared in public for some time, was announced on Monday, December 1, 2025. It came just a few days after President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency due to the rising wave of mass kidnappings by militant groups claiming to operate under extremist Islamist ideologies.
A United Nations report released on November 25, 2025, indicated that since the start of the month, 402 people had been abducted across northern Nigeria. Analysts say the country’s deepening economic crisis is fueling the escalating security situation.
More than 200 students kidnapped from a Catholic school last week remain missing. The Nigerian authorities have shared very limited information about the measures being taken to rescue them.
During a visit to the school by a senior official, the National Security Adviser to President Tinubu alongside Catholic Church leaders, families were assured that the kidnapped children would be safely returned.
President Tinubu recently ordered the recruitment of at least 50,000 new police officers, in addition to increasing the number of soldiers in the army. These forces will be deployed to the regions most affected by insecurity to confront the militant groups responsible for the mass kidnappings.
According to the British news agency Reuters, on Monday night President Tinubu met with former Chief of Defence Staff, retired General Christopher Musa, to discuss security challenges and potential candidates to replace Abubakar as the new Minister of Defence.
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