The Minister of Defense warns of the risks of violence in the proposed protests, and suggests linking the media with military operations

Minister of Defense, Christopher Musa, has warned of the possible consequences of recent calls to protests distributed by social media influencers in Nigeria.

Speaking about the development of the situation, the defense minister pointed out that although the right to peaceful protest is not limited, there are concerns that such demonstrations could be hijacked by violent people, leading to injuries or deaths.

“I have seen recently some social media giants in Nigeria going around trying to incite protests. Nobody is stopping anyone from protesting, but we should always remember the unintended consequences, because these protests can be hijacked and people can be killed or injured,” he said.

He further emphasized the ongoing efforts of the Ministry of Defense to improve public understanding of military operations, especially in conflict-prone regions such as the North-East, North-West and North Central.

According to him, the Ministry is considering the inclusion of selected media professionals in the troops during active operations.

This initiative, he explained, is aimed at giving journalists and media professionals a first-hand insight into the realities, challenges and risks facing the Nigerian Armed Forces on the ground.

“We’re making efforts to provide opportunities for some of these media professionals to be involved with our troops when they go on an operation … so they can get a sense of what their troops are going through and the challenges they face. Maybe they’ll have a better understanding,” he added.

Watch him speak below…

“Recently, I saw some social media giants in Nigeria going around trying to incite protests. Nobody is stopping anyone from protesting, but we should always remember the unintended consequences, because those protests could be hijacked and people could be killed or… pic.twitter.com/9Sd2Zz6WFD

— CHUKS 🍥 (@ChuksEricE) June 14, 2026