The Office of the Honourable Minister of Defence has dismissed online claims that the minister plans to resign, describing the report as fabricated and misleading.
In a public disclaimer signed by the Special Assistant (Media) to the Honourable Minister of Defence, Leah Katung-Babatunde, the office said the report circulating across online and social media platforms did not originate from the minister and should be ignored.
The statement said the office’s attention had been drawn to “a malicious and an entirely fabricated rumour circulating across various online and social media platforms alleging that the Honourable Minister, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd) OFR, has expressed an intention to step down from his position.”
It stated: “We wish to state unequivocally and in the strongest possible terms that these rumours are absolute falsehood borne out of complete mischief.”
The office maintained that General Christopher Musa (Rtd) remains committed to his assignment, saying, “General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd) remains fully focused on his national security mandate, deeply committed to his duties, and completely dedicated to piloting the nation’s defence strategy with results already being seen.”
The statement urged Nigerians to ignore the claim and advised media organisations and social media users to verify information before sharing it.
“We strongly advise media outlets and internet users to desist from spreading unverified information and seek clarifications from the office,” the statement added.