Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has resigned with immediate effect, the presidency announced on Monday, December 1, 2025.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said Abubakar cited health reasons in his resignation letter to President Bola Tinubu. The 63-year-old former Jigawa State governor served as minister since August 2023.
The move comes right after Tinubu declared a national security emergency. He ordered mass recruitment for the army and police to fight rising banditry, kidnappings, and Islamist insurgency.
Recent Attacks Highlight Crisis Nigeria has seen a wave of violence. In the past two weeks, armed bandits abducted about 490 people across states.
- Gunmen kidnapped a pastor and nearly a dozen worshippers from a church in Kogi State during Sunday service.
- In Sakoko, northwestern Nigeria, 30 women—including a bride and wedding guests—were taken.
- The biggest incident: 315 people, mostly children, abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school in Papiri, Niger State, in late November. About 50 escaped.
Bandits often demand ransom in the northwest and north-central regions. The government faces criticism for not protecting schools and remote areas.
Security Forces Under Strain Nigeria’s 370,000 officers cover 220 million people, per a UK assessment. Many guard VIPs, leaving rural spots vulnerable. Corruption, low pay, and poor equipment slow responses.
Oluwole Ojewale from the Institute for Security Studies said: “In remote villages, security is almost non-existent, and surveillance is weak.”
Tinubu praised recent rescues, like 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi and 38 worshippers in Kwara. He pledged to free the rest, including Niger State children.
The DSS will deploy forest guards to hunt bandits. States can set up police with National Assembly approval.
Abubakar’s exit adds pressure. Tinubu may name a successor soon.
