The Marghi Yukur Development Association, representing Marghi indigenes across Abuja, Niger, Nasarawa and Plateau states, has expressed steadfast support for Nigeria’s new Defence Minister, General Christopher Musa, describing his appointment as a turning point in the ongoing fight against insurgency that has ravaged their communities.

The endorsement was made during the association’s lively end-of-year celebration held in Kuchiyako, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, where community leaders reiterated that restoring security is vital for the return of displaced families and the rebuilding of abandoned towns and villages.

Wakili Ptil Marghi Karu, Chief Isa Dafor, expressed strong optimism that the Defence Minister’s appointment signals hope for the Marghi nation.

“We have a new Defence Minister, Gen Christopher Musa, because of the insurgency ravaging the country. With his coming, I believe things will be okay. All of us are ready to support him,” he said.

He added that peace remains the foundation of progress:

“When you have peace, you have happiness; when you have happiness, you have unity and development.”

Elder statesman and member of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Ambassador Yaji Gulak, provided a frank assessment of the crisis that has displaced the Marghi people for over a decade.

“If our leaders join hands together, within three minutes these bad boys will go. Our military can clear them. Only politics has delayed it,” he declared.

He praised Gen Musa’s appointment as a step capable of changing the security trajectory:

“Bringing Christopher Musa is very important. That man will do something now.”

Gulak stressed that thousands of displaced Marghi people—now living across Nasarawa, Abuja, Gwagwalada and neighbouring states—urgently need federal action to return home.

The Association’s Secretary-General, Linus Thliza, highlighted the severe impact of the crisis, listing over twelve Marghi settlements deserted since 2013 due to the nefarious activities of Boko Haram terrorists.

“They are in thousands. Entire communities have been cleared out,” he noted.

He explained that displacement has scattered Marghi families across several northern states, including Abuja, Nasarawa, Plateau, and Niger, and has weakened cultural bonds that once held the community together.

Despite hardship and the multifaceted challenges, Marghi leaders and their people from far and near celebrated their resilience and emphasised unity as their most powerful weapon.

Patron of the association, Warrant Officer (rtd.) Jordan Umaru, who recalled his membership of the group for over 30 years, said the gathering was a testament to the people’s enduring spirit.

“We gather yearly to thank God. What you see today is our best celebration yet. Our new chief has given us direction, and unity is what is keeping us strong,” he remarked.

Ambassador Gulak reinforced this message: “We must unite, understand ourselves, and assist ourselves. Some are not strong — that is why unity is important.”

Throughout the event, a unified message echoed from speaker to speaker: Security must be restored in Marghi communities, and displaced families must be supported to return home.

They insisted that the newly appointed Defence Minister deserves full backing to execute decisive operations, stressing that unity within the Marghi nation must remain a priority.

With General Musa’s reputation for professionalism and his deep operational experience in counter-insurgency, the community expressed renewed hope that peace, stability and the restoration of their ancestral villages may soon be within reach.