Did the former Nigerian defence minister resign because he couldn’t stand ‘bombing’?

Posts spread across Facebook quote Nigeria’s former defence minister as saying he resigned because he could not stand the bombing of “our brothers in the forest.” Some versions blame the United States. Others add the Tinubu administration.

The message is explosive and crafted to shock. It also invites outrage.

So what are the facts?

On 1 December, the former defence minister, Badaru Abubakar, submitted a resignation letter to President Bola Tinubu. The reason stated was health related. The resignation followed formal government procedure and was publicly acknowledged. Soon after, screenshots and captions began circulating online. They attributed emotional and politically charged quotes to Abubakar.

None of the posts identified where the statement was made. None named a date, venue, or interview platform. That absence matters. When a public figure makes a statement of this weight, credible traces follow.

We searched for official speeches, interviews, press briefings, and verified media reports.
There were none.

Then came a direct response from Abubakar himself. He denied the claim outright. He described the quote as false and deliberately misleading. He stated that the reasons for his resignation were formally communicated to the president and disclosed to the public. He rejected any suggestion of an alternative motive. He described the circulating narrative as engineered to mislead.

This denial stands on record. It has not been contradicted by any verifiable source. So, what are these posts doing? They recycle an unverified quote. They remove context. They inject foreign actors and security language to heighten emotion. None of it is backed by evidence.

Verdict

The claim is false. There is no proof that Badaru Abubakar said he resigned because of bombing operations.