A pressure group, Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development, has called for the scrapping of the Office of the Minister of State for Defence and the removal of its current occupant, Bello Matawalle.
The group said the move would strengthen coordination in the Ministry of Defence following the appointment of a new Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.).
In a statement on Monday, signed by its Executive Director, Alhaji Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, the group argued that Nigeria’s worsening security challenges required a unified command structure under one minister.
Shinkafi said the current arrangement risked friction and inefficiency, insisting that the ministry should be headed solely by a senior minister with military experience.
He noted that similar structures operated under the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, when the defence ministry was effectively coordinated.
The group described Musa’s appointment as “timely and widely welcomed,” saying it had restored public confidence in the security sector amid ongoing battles against terrorism, insurgency and banditry.
It added that the resignation of the immediate past Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, paved the way for the emergence of a “seasoned security professional.”
According to the group, maintaining the Office of the Minister of State for Defence would undermine Musa’s authority, particularly as he previously served under Matawalle while he was Chief of Defence Staff.
“General Musa needs a free hand to restructure and reposition the armed forces in collaboration with the President and service chiefs,” the statement read.
The group acknowledged that the junior minister’s portfolio included oversight of maritime security, the Military Pension Board and the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria.
However, it argued that these responsibilities could be consolidated under a single minister to ensure clarity, speed and accountability.
It warned that Nigeria could no longer afford administrative overlaps after more than 15 years of violent conflicts, including terrorism, militancy, kidnapping and secessionist agitations.
The group also referenced President Bola Tinubu’s recent security measures, including a declared state of emergency on security, the withdrawal of police aides from VIPs and the approval of ₦100bn for rehabilitating security training institutions.
It cited plans to recruit 50,000 security personnel and deploy forest guards and hunters to flush out criminals as evidence of the President’s resolve.
Shinkafi said scrapping the junior minister’s office would further demonstrate the political will needed to defeat criminal networks nationwide.
The group claimed Nigerians had continued to demand Matawalle’s removal across traditional and social media, as well as through street protests.
It stressed that security remained the government’s primary responsibility under Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution.
The group also appealed to the United States to use its diplomatic engagement with Nigeria to encourage a review of the defence ministry’s command structure.
It said such a move would enhance efficiency, stability and direction at a time of national security emergency.
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