Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has warned that the growing reliance on the Armed Forces of Nigeria for internal security operations is weakening the capacity of the Nigeria Police Force and other civilian security agencies.
Buratai made the assertion on Monday at the National Defence College, Abuja, while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 Armed Forces Celebrations and Remembrance Day lecture.
According to the retired army chief, the widespread deployment of troops across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory is gradually undermining the development and effectiveness of the police and internal intelligence institutions that should ordinarily 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 noted that the trend has created a dangerous imbalance, leaving the military overstretched, diverting defence budgets to routine policing duties and reducing the Armed Forces’ preparedness to respond to conventional external threats.
Buratai recalled that, constitutionally, the primary responsibilities of the Armed Forces include defending the nation against external aggression, protecting territorial integrity, suppressing insurrection and providing aid to civil authorities when required.
However, he stressed that internal security should fundamentally be “civil-driven and intelligence-led,” with the police and state security services taking the lead.
The former army chief called for a clear, time-bound and conditions-based exit strategy that would gradually return internal security responsibilities to civilian authorities, while preserving the military’s readiness to carry out its core mandate.
According to him, Nigeria’s long-term security and democratic stability depend on strong, well-equipped police and intelligence services, with the military reserved for exceptional circumstances.
Earlier in his remarks, the Minister of Defence, Gen. 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 addressing the challenge requires the active involvement of local governments, traditional rulers, religious leaders and community members, describing security as a shared responsibility that extends beyond the armed forces alone.
