He made the remarks while reviewing the country’s security situation under President Bola Tinubu’s administration as it marks its third year in office
Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa (rtd), on Friday attributed the rising cases of kidnapping in Nigeria to a breakdown of family values, insisting that the trend reflects deeper moral and social decay beyond security concerns.
He made the remarks while reviewing the country’s security situation under President Bola Tinubu’s administration as it marks its third year in office.
Musa said the involvement of relatives in some kidnapping cases shows a worrying shift in societal values, stressing that Nigeria must address the issue from the family level and not rely solely on military action.
“We have fathers kidnapping children, children kidnapping each other, and brothers kidnapping sisters. It tells you that something is wrong with the family, and we need to look inward to see how we can develop those aspects,” he said on ARISE News.
His comments come amid renewed concerns over school abductions across the country.
Between May 13 and 15, 2026, separate attacks in Borno and Oyo states led to the abduction of at least 82 pupils.
During the Oyo incident, a mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, was reportedly beheaded, while a motorcyclist was killed and a security operative died after running into improvised explosive devices planted by the attackers during a rescue operation.
The Defence Headquarters linked the Oyo abduction to terrorists believed to be from the JAS group, displaced by ongoing military offensives.
Despite the attacks, Musa rated the Tinubu administration’s security performance at between 65 and 70 per cent, insisting that terrorism had reduced compared to previous years.
He maintained that while criminal activities persist, their scale has declined, adding that insecurity should also be seen as a social problem rooted in poor upbringing and desperation for wealth.
“No nation is entirely free of crime… the level of terrorism across the country has actually drastically reduced,” he said, describing terrorism as a social vice linked to failure of family values.
Musa also argued that many kidnappers are motivated by greed and a desire for quick money, urging citizens to embrace hard work instead of criminal shortcuts.
The minister further revealed that Nigerian forces recently conducted a covert operation that led to the killing of a deputy ISIS commander after months of intelligence tracking and surveillance.
He said the operation was part of ongoing efforts to dismantle terrorist networks, noting that security agencies are now receiving stronger support and cooperation from citizens.
Musa added that Nigeria is strengthening counter-terrorism partnerships with countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Brazil and Turkey to boost military capacity and intelligence sharing.
He warned that failure to contain terrorism early could have long-term consequences, citing Turkey’s prolonged battle with insurgency as an example Nigeria must avoid.
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