Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has raised fresh concerns over Nigeria’s worsening security situation, warning that senior government officials, including ministers, senators and state governors, could soon become targets of criminal gangs if decisive measures are not taken.
Buratai issued the warning on Sunday while reacting to reports of the killing of retired Major General Abubakar Rabe by suspected bandits, describing the incident as a disturbing sign of the growing boldness and sophistication of criminal groups operating across the country.
According to the former army chief, the murder of a senior military officer represents a dangerous escalation in insecurity and should serve as a wake-up call for authorities.
“If this trend continues unchecked, the next targets may not be soldiers or civilians alone. They could include ministers, senators, and even state governors. No leader will be immune,” Buratai warned.
He noted that the development validates concerns he had expressed in 2021 about the prolonged threat posed by insurgency and banditry if urgent and decisive action was not taken.
“Today, our nation is witnessing the grim unfolding of that prediction. The capture, torture and eventual killing of a senior military officer, Major General Rabe Abubakar, is not merely a tragedy; it marks a dangerous threshold,” he stated.
Buratai said criminal groups now possess improved intelligence-gathering capabilities, more advanced weaponry and greater operational confidence, making them a significant threat to national security.
He criticized what he described as a reactive approach to tackling insecurity, particularly the payment of ransoms and negotiations with criminal elements, insisting that such measures only embolden bandits and insurgents.
“The current reactive strategy, paying ransoms and negotiating with criminals, must end. It is time for a full-scale, coordinated military and intelligence offensive,” he said.
The former army chief also called on the Federal Government to establish a unified security command with direct authority over all security agencies operating in states facing severe security challenges.
“The Federal Government should establish a unified command with direct authority over all security agencies operating in high-risk states, eliminating bureaucratic delays,” he advised.
Buratai further urged security agencies to dismantle support networks that sustain criminal operations, including illegal miners, ransom negotiators and local collaborators.
“Bandits do not survive on AK-47s alone. They rely on networks of corrupt middlemen, illegal miners, ransom negotiators and local collaborators. These individuals must be identified, arrested and prosecuted. The cost of supporting terrorism should be made unbearable,” he said.
He stressed that only a coordinated national response involving military, intelligence and law enforcement agencies would prevent the security crisis from deteriorating further and restore public confidence in the country’s security architecture.