APM criticizes Defence Minister over insecurity claims

The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has taken aim at the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa. They are upset with his claim that Nigeria has defeated terrorists and that security has improved under President Bola Tinubu.

The party believes the minister’s statement is misleading, arguing that Nigerians still face killings, abductions, and other violence every day.

Mr Musa spoke earlier on Channels Television’s Politics Today. He said terrorist attacks are not as frequent or bold as before, but he admitted that kidnappings have increased.

When asked if Nigeria had truly defeated terrorists or just pushed them away, the minister said, “Frankly speaking, we have defeated terrorists because now, like I said, the attacks are not as rampant and it is now.”

Mr Musa also called kidnapping a “social ill.” He mentioned some unusual cases where wives kidnap their husbands and husbands kidnap their own children.

He insisted that security has improved under Mr Tinubu and that reports of terrorist attacks are not as common as they used to be.

However, in a statement on Saturday signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, the APM condemned the minister’s comments. They see this as an effort by the government to downplay the country’s growing insecurity.

The party pointed to the 2026 Global Terrorism Index (GTI). They claimed Nigeria moved from sixth to fourth place among the countries most affected by terrorism.

The APM expressed disappointment that a federal minister would make such claims while Nigerians suffer from killings, kidnappings, and displacement.

They accused the Tinubu administration of being insensitive to the suffering of Nigerians facing violence from armed groups.

The party claimed that over 600,000 Nigerians have been killed and at least 2.2 million others abducted during the three years of Mr Tinubu’s presidency.

The APM also mentioned the recent abduction of hundreds of people in Niger State. They reported that about 600 Nigerians, mainly women, children, and the elderly, were taken from Dekera, Gidan-Zana, and Sabon Gida communities and are still missing.

They cited data from SBM Intelligence, which showed that kidnapping for ransom has become a big business. Over ₦7.78 billion was paid as ransom between July 2025 and June 2026.

The APM accused the government of being either “dangerously disconnected from reality” or trying to manipulate how the public views the security situation in the country.

They also criticized the minister’s remarks about some kidnapping cases being a “family affair.” They said abduction remains a serious security threat for Nigerians.

“If the security situation has truly improved as the administration claims, the APM challenges the President, the Minister of Defence, and other senior officials of the Tinubu Presidency to travel by road without armed security details as other Nigerians must do,” their statement said.

The party accused Mr Tinubu of lacking the ability to create and carry out a plan to tackle insecurity. They said Nigeria cannot survive another four years under what they call a “hopeless and incompetent administration.”

Still, the APM urged Nigerians to stay hopeful. They called for support for their presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, in the 2027 election.

They believe Mr Makinde has a plan to address insecurity and other issues facing the country. Mr Tinubu is looking to be re-elected in 2027, while the APM says their candidate will provide an alternative to the current administration.