Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), a former chief of army staff, has cautioned that the expansion of the Nigerian Police Force and other civilian security agencies is being undermined by the troops’ extensive presence throughout the country’s 36 states.
In order to bolster internal security activities, military forces are reportedly currently stationed throughout Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory.
In his keynote speech at the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day lecture in Abuja on Monday, Buratai contended that the development was undermining the Nigeria Police Force’s capabilities.
According to Buratai, “the widespread use of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in internal security offers instant stability, but it also perpetuates a cycle of dependency that weakens civil police capacity and strains defense resources.”
He claims that the situation has led to a hazardous imbalance where the Armed Forces are less prepared for conventional threats, the military is overburdened, and defense budgets are diverted to routine policing activities.
Buratai pointed out that according to the constitution, the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s main duties are to defend the country from foreign aggression, preserve territorial integrity, put down uprisings, and support civil authorities as needed.
But he emphasized that, at its core, internal security should be intelligence-driven and led by civilians, with state security services and the police at the forefront.
“The state intelligence services and the police should essentially be the civil-driven and intelligence-driven agencies in charge of internal security,” he stated.
He cautioned that the military’s primary duty of protecting the nation from outside threats should not be permanently replaced by tasks related to development and internal security.
Buratai stated, “The Armed Forces of Nigeria remain an essential force for national development and stability, but its expanded internal role must not compromise its core mandate or weaken civilian institutions.”
In order to maintain the military’s preparedness for its main purpose, the former army chief urged for a comprehensive, time-bound, and conditions-based disengagement strategy that would progressively transfer internal security responsibilities to civilian authorities.
