By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The Office of the Minister of Defence on Monday dismissed as false reports claiming that the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), is planning to resign from office, describing the speculation as “malicious” and “entirely fabricated.”
This was revealed in a statement made available to defence correspondents in Abuja by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde.
The statement said the rumour, which has been circulating on online and social media platforms, was the handiwork of mischief-makers and should be disregarded by members of the public.
It added that the minister remains fully committed to his constitutional responsibilities and is focused on driving Nigeria’s defence and national security agenda.
The statement further explained that Gen. Musa has no intention of stepping down, contrary to the claims being circulated.
It reads: “The attention of the Office of the Minister of Defence has been drawn to a malicious and entirely fabricated rumour circulating across various online and social media platforms alleging that the Minister has expressed an intention to step down from his position.
“We wish to state unequivocally and in the strongest possible terms that these rumours are absolute falsehoods borne out of complete mischief.
“The Minister remains deeply committed to his national security mandate and continues to provide strategic leadership for the country’s defence sector, with tangible results already being recorded.”
The statement urged members of the public to ignore the false reports and advised media organisations and social media users to verify information with official sources before publication.
It also called on members of the public to seek clarification from the Office of the Minister of Defence whenever they are in doubt about information relating to the ministry or its leadership.
