Senator Fadahunsi Urges Tinubu to Appoint Military Professionals to Key Security Roles

Senator Fadahunsi has raised concerns over what he sees as a weak military presence in Nigeria’s top security leadership. He noted that neither the Minister of Defence nor other senior defence officials currently come from the military, and added that the National Security Adviser (NSA) is a retired police officer. According to him, this creates a command gap, as soldiers often regard non-military superiors as “bloody civilians,” a mindset he believes weakens authority and slows down operations.

The lawmaker welcomed the resignation of former Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru and praised President Tinubu’s decision to nominate retired General Christopher Musa as Defence Minister-designate. He described the move as a positive step but insisted that more needs to be done.

Fadahunsi urged President Tinubu to also appoint someone with a military background as NSA, given the increasing pressure of tackling nationwide insecurity, including banditry, insurgency, and other violent crimes.

He argued that replacing the current NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, with a retired military officer would improve coordination among security agencies and strengthen command structures. Without such reforms, he warned, Nigeria risks wasting resources while achieving limited results, as he believes frontline officers prefer to take orders only from those with military experience.