A former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has warned that Nigeria cannot defeat insecurity by relying solely on the military, urging a broader “whole-of-society approach” involving government institutions, communities and other stakeholders.
Speaking in an interview on Channels Television, Buratai said insurgency and related security threats require coordinated responses beyond battlefield operations, including governance reforms, economic development and social interventions.
He stressed that while troops have continued sustained operations against groups such as Boko Haram, military action alone cannot deliver lasting stability without complementary efforts from other sectors.
“The whole country is over-relying on the military,” Buratai said, noting that different agencies and tiers of government have defined roles in addressing the root causes of insecurity.
The former army chief referenced Nigeria’s National Security Strategy 2019 as a framework that already outlines economic, social and infrastructure-based responses to insecurity, but questioned whether the strategy has been consistently implemented.
According to him, factors such as poverty, unemployment and weak infrastructure continue to fuel instability, particularly in conflict-prone areas. He highlighted poor road networks as a major operational challenge for troops, explaining that bad roads slow deployment and increase exposure to ambushes and improvised explosive devices.
“In some instances, an operation that should take two hours could take up to five hours due to bad roads,” he said, adding that improved infrastructure would significantly enhance military effectiveness and personnel safety.
Buratai also called on state governments to intensify youth-focused programmes through job creation, skills development and economic empowerment to reduce vulnerability to recruitment by violent groups.
On the issue of exposing alleged sponsors of terrorism, he said decisive action should take priority over public disclosure of names, expressing concern that some suspects linked to insurgency have yet to face prosecution.
He maintained that sustained collaboration between the military, government agencies and the wider society remains essential for achieving long-term peace and stability in Nigeria.
