Nigeria’s defence minister resigns amid rising security challenges

Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has resigned with immediate effect, citing health reasons, the president’s office confirmed.

The 63-year-old’s departure comes during a period of escalating security challenges, with the government facing mounting pressure to respond to a wave of mass kidnappings. According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 402 people, mostly schoolchildren, have been abducted since mid-November.

In recent incidents, gunmen kidnapped at least 20 people, including a Christian pastor, a Muslim bride, and her bridesmaids, in two separate raids in northern Nigeria. Additionally, around 250 schoolchildren and 12 teachers remain missing following a major attack on a Catholic school in central Niger state.