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Nigeria’s immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa (retd.), made an unannounced visit to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on Monday, a development that coincided with a sharp rebuttal from another former CDS, General Lucky Irabor (retd.), over claims that deradicalised Boko Haram members were being drafted into the armed forces.
Musa arrived at the State House at 7:03 p.m., wearing a dark green northern-style kaftan with cropped sleeves, and was escorted through the presidential wing by a senior security aide. It marked his first public engagement with the President since leaving office on October 24, 2025. The purpose of the meeting remained unclear, as the Presidency offered no immediate details.
His appearance at the Villa came at a time when the administration is confronting intensifying security pressures. President Tinubu recently declared a national security emergency and outlined sweeping measures that include recruiting twenty thousand additional police officers, deploying forest guards, and strengthening protection around schools, churches and mosques in vulnerable communities.
Security agencies have also been ordered to deepen joint operations across the North-West and North-Central, where coordinated attacks over a thirteen-day period resulted in the abduction of at least four hundred and ninety people. Recent incidents include the kidnapping of twenty five schoolgirls in Kebbi, the seizure of thirty eight worshippers in Kwara, and the dramatic mass abduction of students and teachers at a Catholic school in Niger State.
Musa, a member of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 38th Regular Course, served as CDS from June 2023 until the October reshuffle that elevated then Army Chief, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede.
Read also: Nigerian Should Learn Combat Skills For Self-Defence – CDS Musa
As Musa’s visit stirred speculation, Irabor moved to dismantle the widely circulated narrative that repentant Boko Haram members were being absorbed into the military. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, he described the rumour as baseless and structurally impossible.
“I have always wondered where this idea came from. Recruitment does not work that way. It cannot happen,” he said.
Irabor referenced his own long trajectory through key command posts to illustrate the implausibility of the claim. “I was Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, later Force Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force, then Chief of Defence Training and Operations, then Theatre Commander again before becoming CDS. In all those roles, nothing of that nature was possible,” he added.
He explained that the military’s recruitment pipeline has multiple screening layers, beginning at local government level, which prevents any individual with a questionable past from slipping through.
“Even the most basic processes would stop that. You cannot enter the military without clearance from your local government,” Irabor said.
He also clarified that Operation Safe Corridor, the federal deradicalisation programme for low-risk ex-fighters, has no role in enlisting personnel into the armed forces. According to him, the programme focuses on rehabilitation and community reintegration, not military deployment.
Although Irabor acknowledged that Nigeria’s security challenges remain significant, he urged the public to avoid attributing all shortcomings to the military. He emphasised the need for greater manpower, modern equipment, and better comprehension of evolving threats.
Operation Safe Corridor continues to serve as the government’s primary channel for handling former insurgents who voluntarily surrender, offering psychological support, vocational training and reintegration pathways that do not involve military service.
