Military force alone cannot defeat terrorism – Buratai

By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has said that military force alone cannot defeat terrorism in Nigeria, stressing the need to address poverty, unemployment, poor governance and other socio-economic factors fuelling insecurity. Buratai, who spoke on Friday in Lagos at the public presentation of a book, Beyond Military Force: A Strategy for Countering Terrorism in Nigeria, said although military operations remained essential in confronting armed groups, sustainable peace could only be achieved through a combination of military and non-military interventions.

The former army chief, who served between 2015 and 2021, described the book as an important intellectual contribution to Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts, noting that security challenges in the North-East and North-West required a comprehensive strategy beyond the use of weapons. “Military force, however professional, is a shield, not a substitute for governance.

It can create the conditions for peace, but it cannot by itself build peace. “It can degrade a terrorist group; it cannot alone remove the grievances of poverty, ignorance and manipulation from which such groups recruit,” he said. Buratai emphasised the importance of intelligence gathering and community participation in counter-insurgency operations, describing local communities as indispensable partners in the fight against terrorism.

According to him, security agencies cannot achieve meaningful results without the confidence and cooperation of the communities they are deployed to protect. “No amount of firepower can compensate for poor intelligence. The community is often the best source of intelligence, but only when the community trusts the security agencies,” he stated. He also warned that human rights violations during military operations could alienate local communities and provide terrorist organisations with propaganda materials to attract new recruits.

Buratai disclosed that the Nigerian Army reviewed its rules of engagement during his tenure to ensure compliance with prevailing standards, while introducing human rights desks and other accountability mechanisms. He called for stronger counter-terrorism capacity within the Nigeria Police Force, arguing that the military should not continue to shoulder responsibilities traditionally assigned to civilian security institutions.

“The military is not the police; it is not the social welfare agency; it is not the school system. When the military is deployed to perform tasks that belong to civil authorities, it becomes overstretched, and the roots of the conflict remain untouched,” he said. On the rehabilitation and reintegration of former terrorists, the retired general supported credible deradicalisation programmes but insisted that such initiatives must not undermine justice for victims of terrorism.

He said rehabilitation efforts must be transparent, properly monitored and community-based, adding that affected communities needed assurances that justice had been served. Drawing from his experience as commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force headquartered in N’Djamena, Chad, Buratai advocated stronger regional security cooperation, noting that terrorist organisations, including Boko Haram and its affiliates, operated across national boundaries.

He urged Nigeria to strengthen collaboration with neighbouring countries and regional institutions, including the Economic Community of West African States, African Union and countries within the Lake Chad Basin. The former army chief also supported the recommendation for a state of emergency on poverty in Northern Nigeria, saying the initiative should prioritise out-of-school children, the Almajiri system, youth unemployment, vocational training and social protection.

He, however, cautioned that poverty alleviation programmes must be transparent and protected against elite capture. “Poverty is not an excuse for terrorism, but it is a fertile ground for recruitment and manipulation. We must treat it with the seriousness it deserves,” he said. Citing findings from the book, Buratai said field surveys conducted across Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Niger and the Federal Capital Territory showed that 86 per cent of respondents believed negotiation could be helpful in addressing terrorism, while 92 per cent agreed that community members could contribute significantly to intelligence gathering.

He added that 84 per cent of respondents linked terrorist recruitment to poor economic conditions and the Almajiri situation. Earlier, the author, Dr. Joan Ugo Mbagwu, a Professor of Peace, Criminology and Security Studies at Chrisland University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, said the book was conceived to broaden national understanding of counter-terrorism beyond the conventional reliance on military force.

Mbagwu, who disclosed that she had conducted research for the Ford Foundation and the Institute for Development Studies, also served as a Process Eva