Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has resigned with immediate effect from his position.

In a letter dated December 1, sent to President Bola Tinubu, Abubakar said he was quitting on health grounds.

According to Special Adviser to the President Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu has accepted the resignation, thanked Abubakar for his services to the nation and will likely inform the Senate of Badaru’s successor later this week.

The resignation arrived amid Nigeria’s ongoing battles with banditry and terrorism, just after Nigeria President declared a national security emergency to bolster responses.

Former Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa met with Tinubu on Monday evening, his first since retiring in October, with sources indicating he may step in as replacement pending Senate confirmation.

Badaru Abubakar, 63, was a two-term governor of Jigawa state from 2015 to 2023. He was appointed as a minister on August 21, 2023, by President Tinubu.