Nigeria's Minister of Defense, retired Major General Christopher Musa, announced that the war against the terrorist organizations ISIS and Boko Haram 'is achieving results on the ground,' pointing out that 'the security situation in Nigeria is steadily improving... and that angers some parties.'

Musa's statements came following a meeting with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Palace in the capital Abuja, where he gave a briefing on the security situation in the West African country, which has been waging a fierce war against terrorism since 2009.

Nigeria's Minister of Defense makes statements after leaving President Tinubu's meeting (local media)

Musa said in a press statement after leaving the meeting: 'The security situation in Nigeria is steadily improving, especially after the increase in citizens' support for the armed forces and other security agencies in the war against terrorism and banditry gangs.'

The Nigerian Minister of Defense explained that 'the growing cooperation between citizens and security agencies has begun to yield positive results,' stressing that 'defeating terrorist and criminal elements requires a comprehensive societal approach,' as he put it.

The defense minister's meeting with the president comes after widespread rumors about the defense minister's resignation due to the deteriorating security situation in the country, especially after the increase in the frequency of terrorist attacks in the far northeast of the country, and the escalation of mass kidnapping operations and ethnic clashes in the center and west.

The defense minister strongly denied these rumors and said he would take legal action against anyone who spread the rumor of his resignation, adding: 'I was shocked when I heard and saw that news, and I don't know where it came from. But it is expected that there are people who are unhappy when things are going well.'

He added: 'The security situation has improved, and things are heading in the right direction, and that is sad for them, and they will always try to show the opposite of the truth,' before confirming: 'I am not going anywhere, and I have never discussed this matter with anyone. I don't even know who started these rumors, but whoever it is, we will take legal action against him as soon as we arrest him to reveal where he got this information.'

Nigerian soldiers pass by tanks ready for deployment in eastern Nigeria (Reuters)

At the conclusion of his statement, the Nigerian defense minister said: 'I reassure Nigerians that we are continuing our duties with a calm heart. As you can see, I have just returned from briefing the president on the latest security situation, and he is very satisfied with our performance.'

Despite the spread of resignation rumors, Musa is described as one of President Tinubu's close associates, who appointed him as Chief of Defense Staff immediately upon coming to power in 2023, a position he held until his retirement at the end of 2025.

Immediately after that, specifically in early December 2025, President Tinubu nominated him for the position of Minister of Defense, succeeding Muhammad Badaru Abubakar who resigned for health reasons, and indeed the Senate confirmed his nomination so that he was sworn in as Minister of Defense.

Since assuming the post of Minister of Defense, Musa has adopted a new strategy in the war on terrorism, kidnapping, and organized crime, based on a community approach, by enhancing coordination between the armed forces, security agencies, and local communities.

Musa also focused on increasing funding and equipment, investigating security failures, and adopting a tougher stance towards terrorists. During his tenure, the security and military partnership with the United States was strengthened, especially in the war against ISIS.

Ongoing Clashes

Nevertheless, the situation remains unstable, especially in the Lake Chad Basin area, where the army announced on Tuesday that it killed one member of the ISIS organization and wounded others during armed clashes in Yobe State, far northeast of the country.

Photos published by the ISIS organization of its photographer who was killed in clashes with the army last week (local media)

The army stated that the operation was launched following intelligence information indicating movements of ISIS militants in two cars and motorcycles, who were roaming local villages to collect taxes and tributes they had imposed on residents.

The army spokesman in Yobe State said that during the clashes, one car was disabled and its driver killed, while four other terrorists, suspected of being wounded by gunfire, fled into nearby bushes, leaving the car behind.

He added that the armed forces later conducted sweeping operations along the 'Baya Kafiya - Garin Gada' road, where they recovered the abandoned car and a set of materials believed to be related to terrorist operations that the organization was planning.

Army units also foiled a mass kidnapping attempt and rescued 27 victims who had been kidnapped, during separate operations carried out in Sokoto and Zamfara states, according to security and military sources.

The Air Force carried out airstrikes targeting a suspected terrorist hideout in Borno State, resulting in the destruction of the hideout and the elimination of everyone inside.

A photo of destroyed structures as a result of US airstrikes on unidentified militants linked to the ISIS organization... last December 27 in Nigeria (AFP)

The 'Islamic State in West Africa' confirmed the death of its main photographer and field commander 'Abu Salim al-Barnawi' during a failed attack on a Nigerian military base last week.

Reliable sources stated that 'Abu Salim' was one of the most prominent media activists in the organization, as he served as the main photographer and video maker responsible for documenting combat operations and producing propaganda materials used for recruitment and morale boosting.

Before joining the group's media wing, reports indicated that he led many raids across the border with neighboring Cameroon, and his death is a painful blow to ISIS's propaganda machine, given his pivotal role in recording and publishing field scenes and media content of the organization's combat operations.

The terrorist group's confirmation of his death comes after Nigerian forces repelled the attack attempt on the military base, inflicting heavy losses on the attackers and neutralizing a number of prominent leaders.