Former Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retd.) has warned that Nigeria’s deteriorating security situation could soon put top political leaders — including ministers, senators and governors — at risk of abduction or assassination unless urgent action is taken.
Speaking after the reported capture, torture and killing of Maj. Gen. Rabe Abubakar (retd.), Buratai described the incident as a “dangerous threshold” in the country’s fight against insurgency and banditry. He said the event signalled “a serious erosion of tactical deterrence.”
Buratai recalled a 2021 warning that insurgency and banditry could persist for up to 20 years without drastic interventions, and said recent developments suggest that prediction is becoming reality.
He urged both federal and state governments to abandon reactive measures — including ransom payments and negotiations with criminal groups — and to launch a coordinated, full-scale military and intelligence offensive against insurgent and bandit networks.
Among his proposals, Buratai called for the creation of a National Emergency Command with direct authority over all security agencies operating in high-risk areas to eliminate bureaucratic delays and ensure unified responses. He also urged targeted action against the financiers, informants and collaborators who sustain criminal operations, citing illegal mining networks, ransom negotiators and corrupt intermediaries.
Buratai asked state governors to take a more active role by supporting state policing initiatives, strengthening vetted vigilante groups and improving community intelligence networks. While he said security arrangements for senior officials should be enhanced, he stressed that the priority must be dismantling the broader criminal ecosystem that enables attacks on both public officials and ordinary citizens.
“I am a patriot. I fought for this nation, and I have no interest in scoring political points,” Buratai said. “If we do not radically change our approach today, the headlines of tomorrow may make today’s tragedy seem like only a warning.”
He expressed hope that the death of Maj. Gen. Abubakar would catalyse urgent reforms and urged leaders at all levels to act decisively before the security situation deteriorates further.
