Defence Minister Musa faces resignation ultimatum over Sokoto insecurity

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, retired General Christopher Gwabin Musa, demanding he either improve security in Sokoto State or resign from his position.

In a press statement signed by Executive Director Professor Ishaq Akintola, the group cited a failure to uphold the minister’s pledge to end killings across the country. MURIC highlighted a recent surge in violence in Sokoto, noting that at least 43 people and an Imam were killed within a three-week period, alongside 19 kidnappings.

The organization described Sokoto as the ‘heart of Islamdom in Nigeria’ and argued that attacks on the state constitute an assault on Nigerian Muslims in general. MURIC held the Nigerian Army responsible for the security lapses, calling for an ‘iron-clad defence mechanism’ in the region following warnings from the Department of State Services regarding potential terrorist attacks on tertiary institutions.