Nigeria’s former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retd.), has raised concerns that the growing dependence on military personnel for internal security operations across the country is gradually weakening the institutional strength and effectiveness of the Nigeria Police Force and other civilian-led security agencies.
Buratai, a retired senior officer of the Nigerian Army who previously served as the country’s top military commander, delivered the warning while presenting the keynote address at the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day Lecture, held on Monday, 12 January 2026, in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.
According to him, soldiers are currently deployed in nearly all parts of Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory, in support of internal security operations aimed at combating banditry, terrorism, and violent criminal activity. While acknowledging that military intervention often delivers short-term stability, he cautioned that the long-term consequences could be damaging to democratic security institutions.
Okay News reports that Buratai explained that the continuous presence of soldiers across Nigeria’s thirty-six states has slowed the growth, professional development, and operational independence of the Nigeria Police Force and internal intelligence agencies, which constitutionally are expected to take the lead in managing domestic security challenges.
“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 warned that this growing dependency has produced an imbalance within Nigeria’s security architecture, leaving the military overstretched while defence budgets are increasingly diverted to routine policing duties. According to him, such a trend ultimately reduces the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s preparedness to respond to conventional external threats.
Buratai reminded the audience that under Nigeria’s Constitution, the Armed Forces of Nigeria are primarily tasked with defending the nation against external aggression, protecting territorial integrity, suppressing insurrection, and rendering assistance to civil authorities only when absolutely necessary.
However, he stressed that internal security operations should remain civilian-led and intelligence-driven, with the Nigeria Police Force and state security services playing the central role.
“Internal security, more or less, should be civil-driven and intelligence-driven by the state intelligence services and the police, essentially,” he said.
The former army chief further cautioned that developmental and internal security responsibilities must not permanently displace the military’s core mandate of defending Nigeria against external threats.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria remains a vital force for national development and stability, but its expanded internal role must not compromise its core mandate or weaken civilian institutions,” Buratai said.
To address the imbalance, he called for a clearly defined, time-bound, and conditions-based exit strategy that would gradually transfer internal security responsibilities back to civilian authorities while ensuring that the military remains combat-ready for its primary constitutional duties.
He added that Nigeria’s long-term democratic stability and national security depend on building a strong, professional, and well-equipped police force, supported by effective intelligence services, with the military reserved for exceptional circumstances.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, also spoke at the event, urging a coordinated national effort to dismantle criminal networks that exploit local transportation systems to move weapons, narcotics, and other illicit materials across the country.
Musa said tackling the challenge requires collaboration beyond the armed forces, involving local governments, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and community members across Nigeria’s diverse regions.
“Security is a shared responsibility. Local governments, traditional rulers, religious leaders and communities all have critical roles to play. We must work together to disrupt criminal networks that exploit local transportation systems to move weapons, drugs and illicit materials across our borders. Effective community engagement remains essential to long-term security,” he said.
The defence minister reaffirmed the Federal Government of Nigeria’s commitment to building a more professional and self-reliant Armed Forces of Nigeria, highlighting ongoing reforms in troop welfare, training, military doctrine, and indigenous defence production.
According to him, Nigeria has made measurable progress in developing locally manufactured defence equipment, reducing reliance on foreign suppliers while strengthening the country’s defence industrial base and creating employment opportunities.
“Our goal is to ensure that Nigeria develops sustainable, long-term defence capabilities while reducing dependence on external sources. In line with this vision, the revitalisation of indigenous defence industries has gained renewed momentum,” Musa said.
He added that policy reforms and legislative frameworks are opening new opportunities for private sector participation, driving innovation, deepening local content, and positioning defence manufacturing as a catalyst for economic growth and national resilience.
Musa also commended the Chief of Defence Staff, service chiefs, and personnel of the Armed Forces of Nigeria for their professionalism and sacrifices, assuring citizens of the military’s readiness to confront threats on land, sea, and air.
“Our Armed Forces have the capacity, the will and the resolve to defeat enemies of the state and safeguard our people,” he said, citing improved maritime operations that have curtailed criminal activity, protected national assets, and boosted offshore productivity.
The remarks were delivered against the backdrop of persistent security challenges in Nigeria, including armed groups, banditry, and cross-border criminal networks that exploit informal transport routes to move fighters and illicit goods across states and national boundaries.
