Abuja – Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has warned that the increasing deployment of the military for internal security duties across Nigeria is weakening the capacity of the Nigeria Police Force and other civilian security agencies, even as it provides short-term stability.
Speaking at the keynote address of the 2026 Armed Forces Celebrations and Remembrance Day lecture in Abuja on Monday, Buratai said the widespread presence of the military in all 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory, is gradually eroding the growth and effectiveness of the police and internal intelligence institutions that should lead internal security operations.
“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 added that the military is overstretched, defence budgets are diverted to routine policing, and preparedness for conventional threats is reduced. Constitutionally, the primary roles of the Armed Forces are to defend the nation against external aggression, protect territorial integrity, suppress insurrection, and provide aid to civil authorities when required.
Buratai emphasised that internal security should be civil-driven and intelligence-led, with the police and state security services at the forefront. He urged the government to adopt a clear, time-bound exit strategy to gradually return internal security responsibilities to civilian authorities while preserving the military’s readiness for its core mandate.
“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,” he said.
The warning comes amid persistent security threats from armed groups, bandits, and criminal networks exploiting informal transport routes to move weapons, drugs, and illicit goods across states.
Speaking earlier, Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), stressed the importance of a coordinated effort involving local governments, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and communities to combat the exploitation of local transport systems by criminal networks.
“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,” Musa said.
He also highlighted the Federal Government’s push to strengthen the Nigerian Armed Forces through improved training, welfare, doctrine, and indigenous defence production.
Musa noted that local defence manufacturing is helping reduce dependence on foreign suppliers, stimulate job creation, and boost the country’s defence industrial base.
“Our Armed Forces have the capacity, the will, and the resolve to defeat enemies of the state and safeguard our people,” he added.
