Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria, KACRAN, has charged the new Defence Minister, General Christopher Musa to justify public confidence also calling for urgent non-kinetic strategies to curb insecurity.
KACRAN’s National President, Hon. Khalil Moh’d Bello who made the call in a statement said, “By way of introduction, let me state that in my experience, I have rarely witnessed a Defence Minister accepted so widely across the nation—regardless of ethnic or regional background—as the newly appointed Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa.
“However, this goodwill comes with a burden. I have also never seen a Defence Minister face such high expectations from the President, the National Assembly, and the Nigerian public to bring an instant end to the nation’s insecurity.”
KACRAN made this assertion based on the following critical realities:
*The Severity of the Crisis: The Minister assumes office at a time when Nigeria is facing perhaps the most serious security challenges in its history.
*The Public Demand: There is a unanimous demand from the President and the citizenry for an immediate halt to violence, including kidnapping, the abduction of school children, the destruction of farms and property, cattle rustling, attacks on places of worship, and the brutal killing of innocents.
*The Belief in Competence: General Musa is viewed as a figure with the capacity to miraculously turn the tide, given his extraordinary performance in previous theatres of operation, including Liberia, the North East, and his tenure as Chief of Defence Staff.
The Race Against Time
The Minister faces a unique challenge never before seen by an elected or appointed official in our history: a critically short timeline. To our knowledge, no Defence Minister has had a window of one year or less to prove their competence in such a complicated environment.
KACRAN said, “We say this because, considering the political calendar and the forthcoming 2027 elections (campaigns for which may effectively begin in 2026), the success of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and many Governors seeking re-election depends largely on the ability of the incoming Defence Minister to reduce insecurity to the barest minimum.”
KACRAN critically observed that no matter how committed or hardworking the Minister may be, if security challenges worsen or remain stagnant by the next election cycle, the administration will face the same electoral difficulties encountered by the Jonathan administration in 2015.
Therefore, the Minister is expected to achieve six years’ worth of progress in less than one year.
Our Call to Action
In view of these high stakes, we call upon General Musa to justify the confidence reposed in him. We urge him to utilize his vast military experience—not only in combat but in the art of maintaining peace—to restore normalcy, trust, and brotherliness to the country between now and October 2026.
Specifically, KACRAN recommends the following strategic shifts:
*Strategic Mapping: We request the Minister to bring all security challenges to the table for critical analysis to fully understand their root causes.
*Hybrid Approach: We urge a departure from the current over-reliance on excessive military force. The Ministry must identify which challenges can be amicably resolved through dialogue and negotiation, reserving kinetic military action only for situations where it is absolutely necessary.
*Open Door Policy: We advise the Minister to operate an open-door policy, listening to citizens who possess meaningful intelligence or advice on ending the conflict.
Conclusion
We want Nigerians to remember that security is a collective responsibility. We call on security operatives, traditional rulers, politicians, and all citizens to provide maximum support to enable the Minister to succeed within this short period.
KACRAN assured the Minister of its readiness to provide all necessary support to achieve peaceful coexistence.
“We passionately appeal to him to consider KACRAN’s specific proposal on how to end insecurity in the North West and North Central zones within 3 to 6 months, with minimal military engagement,” it added.
