By Huldah Shado
Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has said Nigeria’s insecurity challenges are fundamentally political and cannot be solved by the military alone.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Buratai stressed that while the military plays a crucial role, political, economic, and social interventions are equally necessary.
“The military is just one aspect of national activity. Apart from the military, we have the economic, social, and political lines.
“Every government has committed resources to address insecurity, but unless the social and political causes are tackled, the problem will persist,” he said.
Buratai argued that insecurity was sparked by political actors and remains essentially a political problem.
“It was started through some political actors, and now it has been left to the military while the political actors stay behind,” he stated.
He called for a comprehensive review of the nation’s security strategy to address the root causes, particularly political involvement and social factors fueling unrest.
On the military’s role, Buratai dismissed suggestions that the armed forces were part of the problem, insisting they remain central to the solution.
“We cannot continuously see the military as a problem. They are one aspect of the solution, and they will play their role very well if given the right support,” he said, urging Nigerians to back soldiers risking their lives on the frontlines.
