National Security: Why the ministers of defence should stay
By Sama’ila Sama’ila Birnin Kudu
It is with both respect and urgency that I submit the following rejoinder: the proposal by some misguided elements on social media platforms calling for the removal of Ministers of Defence Mohammed Badaru Abubakar and Bello Muhammad Matawalle (Minister of State), was ill intended. Despite the challenges facing our nation, such action may well risk undoing genuine progress in our national security effort. Far from being mere political appointments, both gentlemen have begun to deliver measurable results and build foundations that warrant sustained focus, rather than a wholesale change motivated by fear of losing power.
Let us begin first with the Minister of State, Dr Matawalle. He has brought strategic vision and operational determination to the defence portfolio. His stewardship has seen the revitalisation of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), with the passage of the DICON Bill in 2023, enabling partnerships and local production of military hardware, an important stride toward self-reliance. Under his oversight, Nigeria has neutralised multiple high-profile bandit leaders, such as Halilu Sububu, Halilu Buzu and others, in the North-West, signalling that the government is no longer on the back foot in those theatres.
In addition, Dr Matawalle has taken concrete steps to digitise military pension verification, thereby addressing welfare of veterans and boosting morale among serving forces. A coalition of more than 700 civil society organisations recently singled him out for recognition, citing his leadership and the enhanced presence of military formations in previously neglected zones.
Secondly, Minister Badaru has likewise steered the national defence agenda with a clarity of purpose and operational metrics. According to official figures, under his leadership more than 13,543 terrorists and bandits have been neutralised, 17,500 arrested, and 9,821 hostages rescued, numbers that speak not to rhetoric but to real lives saved and communities restored.
He has also overseen the coordination of intelligence sharing and improved synergy among the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and Civil Defence Corps, an achievement that experts say had eluded previous leadership.
On the economic-security interface, the minister has reported a decline in oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the South-South region, with associated increases in crude oil production, further showing that security reform under his watch is enabling growth, not merely policing.
Why then should the call to remove them be reconsidered? First, because security leadership demands continuity, flipping the design mid-stream risks losing institutional memory, disrupting chain of command, and giving adversaries a vacuum to exploit. Second, both ministers are clearly aligned with President Tinubu’s administration’s vision of “end insecurity decisively by 2025” and are delivering in measurable ways; changing personnel for political optics threatens to signal to criminals that the government is unsettled.
Third, the achievements cited above show a shift from mere response to proactivity, from reactive patrols to structural reform (local production of hardware, digitised systems, inter-agency synergy) which takes time and consistency.
As Nigeria considers the broader security reform agenda, the removal of ministers of defence would send the wrong message: that appointments are political tokens to be discarded, rather than professional instruments to be strengthened. Instead, it would be far more effective to retain and support both ministers, while ensuring their offices remain focused on national interest. not partisan politics. Encourage full transparency, demand rigorous performance reviews, and hold them publicly accountable to targets. But trust them to stay the course.
In summary, Nigeria does not need further ministry shake-ups when the very people charged with defence are showing promise in restoring safety. Ministers Matawalle and Badaru have already begun rebuilding the defence architecture of this nation in tangible ways. Let us not throw that progress away for the sake of politics. The war against insecurity will be won by sustained leadership, not headline-chasing reshuffles.
Sama’ila Sama’ila Birnin Kudu , writes from Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna