Former Chief of Army Staff, Retired Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, has warned that the continuous deployment of the Nigerian military for internal security duties is undermining the professional capacity of the Nigeria Police Force.
Speaking during the National Defence College for the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day lecture, in Abuja on Monday, Buratai stated that while soldiers provide quick stability, their presence across all 36 states has created a dangerous imbalance in the security architecture of the nation.
According to Buratai, the reliance on the Armed Forces has created a cycle of dependency where the Nigeria Police Force, fails to develop their own intelligence-led capacities.
The extensive deployment of the Armed Forces in internal security provides immediate stability, but it also perpetuates a cycle of dependency that weakens civil police capacity – Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (Retd)
Buratai stated that the 2026 national budget, which allocates N5.41 trillion to defense and security, is being used for routine law enforcement rather than strategic defense. He added that this trend does not only over-stretch military personnel but also diverts defense budgets. He called for the return of internal security leadership to the police.
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