Former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai (retd.), has said Nigerian security agencies have the technological capacity to track and locate bandits and kidnappers, especially those who openly share videos, communicate online and flaunt their activities from hideouts.
Buratai stated this on Monday during an interview on TVC’s Beyond The Headlines, while reacting to concerns over the growing use of social media by criminal groups operating across the country.
The former army chief dismissed suggestions that security agencies lack the ability to trace such criminals, arguing that if authorities can track ordinary citizens and social media influencers, they should also be able to locate armed groups using digital platforms.
“I don’t think they failed to locate. If they can locate ordinary citizens or social media influencers, I don’t believe they can locate these bandits that flaunt their loot or whatever activities they do,” he said.
Although he did not directly accuse security agencies of negligence or inefficiency, Buratai suggested that operational considerations may be influencing the timing, method and visibility of security responses.
“I would not like to say it is a capacity-building challenge, but I think they may have their reasons,” he added.
He explained that certain hostage situations require careful handling because of the risks involved, including the safety of abducted victims and the possibility of collateral damage during rescue operations.
“The sensitivity of that type of kidnap, the location and those involved, and the danger of collateral damage may play a very important part,” he said.
Buratai, however, called for continuous strengthening of Nigeria’s security architecture, stressing that the country needs more trained personnel, improved intelligence capacity and better welfare for security operatives.
“There must be capacity building of all the security agencies, and continuously,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria needs more troops, police officers and other security operatives to respond effectively to the country’s evolving security threats.
“There is a need for more operatives. We need more troops to be recruited, more operatives and more policemen,” he stated.
The retired general also emphasised the importance of training, retraining and welfare, noting that proper accommodation and better working conditions would improve the morale and efficiency of personnel.
“They should be trained and retrained. Their welfare is very important. Let us have good accommodation. They must have good accommodation,” he said.
Buratai further noted that the Nigerian military already has specialised units trained for complex rescue and counter-terrorism operations.
He identified the Nigerian Navy’s Special Boat Service and the Nigerian Army’s Special Forces as examples of elite units with rescue and VIP protection capabilities.
“I will not tell you exactly or be specific, but generally we have within the military specialised units trained for such rescue missions,” he said.
“The Special Boat Service is trained for such rescue missions. Even the Nigerian Army has Special Forces. They have rescue and VIP protection capabilities,” he added.
The former army chief also called for the expansion of the National Counter Terrorism Centre under the Office of the National Security Adviser.
He proposed the creation of state-level branches of the centre, equipped with modern technology, operations centres and situation rooms to improve coordination among security agencies.
“The Office of the National Security Adviser has a Counter Terrorism Centre. I think the commander there is a professional and highly strategic officer,” Buratai said.
“If it can be further expanded to have state branches of the Counter Terrorism Centre with highly technical equipment and very good operations centres or situation rooms, they will be able to do a lot in coordination with the security agencies and the military,” he added.
His comments come amid rising public concern over kidnappings, banditry and the open circulation of videos by criminal groups, including abductors who use social media to display captives, issue threats and demand ransom.
Buratai’s position suggests that while Nigeria may possess the technical capacity to track such criminals, the challenge lies in coordination, operational timing, manpower, welfare, intelligence deployment and the safe handling of hostage rescue missions.
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