Insecurity: Ministers, governors may become targets, Buratai warns

Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has warned that Nigeria’s worsening security situation could deteriorate further if urgent and decisive measures are not taken, cautioning that political leaders, including ministers, senators and governors, may become targets of non-state actors.

Buratai gave the warning in a statement titled, “A frank and patriotic advice on Nigeria’s escalating security crisis,” following reports surrounding the abduction and killing of a senior military officer, Maj-Gen. Rabe Abubakar.

According to the former army chief, the killing of a senior military officer by non-state actors signals a dangerous escalation in the country’s security challenges and should serve as a wake-up call to authorities at all levels.

“When a general falls into the hands of non-state actors, it signals a serious erosion of tactical deterrence. If this trend continues unchecked, the next targets may not be soldiers or civilians alone. They could include ministers, senators, and even governors,” he said.

Buratai recalled that in 2021, he had predicted that insurgency and banditry could persist for up to two decades if drastic measures were not implemented, adding that current developments appear to validate those concerns.

The former COAS called for a fundamental review of the country’s national security strategy, including better coordination among the armed forces, the police and intelligence agencies. He also urged state governments to take primary responsibility for the security of their territories, noting that the over-centralisation of policing in the country has limited the ability of sub-national governments to respond effectively to local security threats.

Buratai further recommended a renewed investment in modern surveillance technology, the establishment of a national identity database linked to security watchlists, and the integration of community-based intelligence networks into the federal security architecture.

He also asked political leaders to depoliticise security appointments and operations, and to work across party lines in confronting the threats. He observed that the politicisation of security in some states had weakened response capacity, and that the recent killing of the senior officer was a direct consequence of that failure.

The former army chief called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on insecurity and to convene a national security summit that would bring together political leaders, security chiefs, traditional rulers, religious leaders and civil society groups to chart a new way forward.

Sources: Vanguard