Buratai Cautions Against Overloading Military with Policing Duties
A former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has warned that the growing deployment of the military for internal security operations across Nigeria is weakening the capacity of the Nigeria Police Force and other civilian security agencies.
Buratai, who spoke while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day lecture in Abuja on Monday, said although military involvement in internal security provides short-term stability, it poses long-term risks to institutional balance and national defence readiness.
According to him, the extensive presence of soldiers in policing roles across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory has created a cycle of dependency that stifles the development and effectiveness of civil security institutions.
“The extensive deployment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in internal security provides immediate stability, but it also perpetuates a cycle of dependency that weakens civil police capacity and strains defence resources,” Buratai said.
He noted that the trend has overstretched the military, diverted defence resources to routine law enforcement duties and reduced the Armed Forces’ preparedness for conventional and external threats.
Buratai stressed that the constitutional role of the Armed Forces is primarily to defend Nigeria against external aggression, protect territorial integrity, suppress insurrection and provide aid to civil authorities only when necessary.
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He argued that internal security operations should be civil-led and intelligence-driven, with the police and state security services taking the lead.
“Internal security, more or less, should be civil-driven and intelligence-driven by the state intelligence services and the police,” he added.
The former army chief warned that prolonged military involvement in internal security could undermine democratic governance and weaken civilian institutions, calling for a clear, time-bound and conditions-based exit strategy that would gradually return policing responsibilities to civil authorities.
He said Nigeria’s long-term security and democratic stability depend on a strong, well-equipped and professional police force, with the military reserved for exceptional situations.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), called for a coordinated crackdown on the use of local transportation systems by criminal networks to move weapons, drugs and other illicit materials across the country.
Musa said tackling insecurity requires the involvement of local governments, traditional rulers, religious leaders and communities, describing security as a shared responsibility.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening troop welfare, training and indigenous defence production, noting that locally manufactured military equipment was reducing dependence on foreign suppliers and boosting the country’s defence industrial base.
The minister commended the Armed Forces for their sacrifices and professionalism, assuring Nigerians that the military has the capacity and resolve to defeat enemies of the state and safeguard lives and property.
