Defence Minister Rates Tinubu Government 70% on Security Despite Rising School Abductions

Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Christopher Musa, has rated the security performance of President Bola Tinubu’s administration between 65 and 70 per cent, insisting that terrorism across the country has been drastically reduced.

Musa made the remarks during an interview on Arise News on Friday while reflecting on three years of the Tinubu administration.

“I’ll give ourselves 65 to 70 per cent,” the minister said when asked to assess the government’s security performance.

According to him, no country is completely free from crime and insecurity, but Nigeria has made significant progress in weakening terrorist groups.

“No nation is totally free from crime and criminality. I’m sure you are aware that the level of terrorism across the country has actually drastically reduced. Now we have acts of terrorism,” he stated.

Musa argued that kidnapping has increasingly become a wider societal problem rather than purely a military or security issue, linking the trend to what he described as declining 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 to see how we can develop those aspects,” he said.

His comments come amid renewed public concern over a series of school abductions recorded in parts of the country.

Between May 13 and May 15, at least 82 pupils were reportedly abducted during separate attacks in Borno State and Oyo State.

In Borno State, armed groups attacked schools in Askira Uba and Chibok local government areas, abducting 42 pupils.

In Oyo State, another 40 pupils were kidnapped during coordinated attacks on Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School; and L.A. Primary School in Esiele, Oriire Local Government Area.

The Oyo attack drew national outrage after mathematics teacher Michael Oyedokun was reportedly beheaded by the abductors. A motorcyclist and a security operative also lost their lives during the attacks and rescue operations.

The Defence Headquarters later attributed the Oyo incident to terrorists linked to the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) faction displaced from other regions following intensified military operations.

Following the attacks in Borno, the state government temporarily shut down and relocated Government Day Secondary School, Mussa, in Askira/Uba Local Government Area over security concerns.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International said at least 1,100 people were abducted across Nigeria between January and April 2026, describing the trend as evidence of continuing failures to adequately protect vulnerable communities.