Don’t vilify our soldiers, Buratai calls for moral, political, material support to win war on insecurity

Former Chief of Army Staff and immediate past Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai (Rtd.), has called for a whole of society mobilisation to end insecurity, stressing that the challenge cannot be left for the military alone.

 

Buratai made the call on Friday while speaking as a guest on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television breakfast programme, where he reflected on the state of Nigeria’s security and the need for stronger political, social and economic interventions.

 

He explained that while the military continued to make sacrifices in defending the nation, the root causes of insecurity many of which were political and social needed to be addressed through a long-term national plan.

 

“Just before I left office, and immediately when I was appointed ambassador to Benin, I warned that this insurgency may last longer. It is not something you just wish away. It requires a deliberate, long-term plan,” he said.

 

The former army chief stressed that the military was only one aspect of the solution, but political leaders, institutions, and society at large must play their part in confronting terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.

 

He drew parallels with the COVID-19 response, where the entire nation was mobilised through massive investments in information campaigns, palliatives, preventive measures and even a nationwide lockdown.

 

“During COVID-19, the whole country concentrated its energy and resources. We can do the same against terrorists, bandits and kidnappers. This fight requires the same urgency and national unity,” he said.

 

Buratai also recalled how Nigerians rallied to support Borno State during last year’s devastating flood, providing relief and rehabilitation to victims. He said such spirit of solidarity could equally be deployed to communities affected by insurgency and banditry in the North-East and North-West.

 

The retired general emphasised that insecurity was not just a security matter but fundamentally political, social and economic.

 

“Apart from the military, there is the economic line, the social line, and the political line. All must work together. This insecurity is essentially political in nature. It started within the society, through political actors, but has now been left to the military to handle while the political actors stay behind. That cannot continue,” he said.

 

According to him, successive governments, both past and present, had shown the political will to end insecurity by committing resources, but what was needed was a better structured approach that integrates social solutions and community resilience.

 

Buratai cautioned against blaming the military for every setback, stressing that soldiers in the field deserved national support, not demoralisation.

 

“Any soldier in the field, holding a weapon and standing between Nigerians and the adversary, is very important. There is no way you should demoralise him. If you despise him or make things difficult for him, you are endangering his life, that of his family, and the lives of all Nigerians,” he said.

 

He reiterated that the armed forces would continue to play their role effectively if given the right backing.

 

“The military is not the problem. They are part of the solution one aspect of the solution. If the entire system supports them, they will deliver,” he said.

 

Buratai, therefore, urged the Nigerian public, political leaders, and institutions to rally behind the armed forces through moral, political and material support, warning that national unity and citizen mobilisation remained the decisive factors in winning the war against insecurity.

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