Buratai Urges COVID-Style National Mobilisation to Tackle Insecurity
Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has urged the Federal Government to adopt a nationwide mobilisation strategy similar to the measures enforced during the COVID-19 lockdown in order to effectively confront terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping across the country.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Buratai stressed that insecurity should not be left for the military alone to handle, describing it instead as a national crisis that demands the collective sacrifice of all Nigerians.
“When there are national crises, we need to mobilise everybody, not just the military,” he said. “During COVID-19, the government invested massively in communication, awareness, palliatives, and preventive measures. The whole nation was locked down. We can apply the same urgency to defeat this menace of terrorists and bandits.”
The retired general, who also served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Benin Republic, recalled warning that the insurgency could drag on for years without a comprehensive long-term strategy. “This is not a problem you wish away. It requires planning, persistence, and national involvement,” he noted.
Citing past examples of collective response to crises—such as Nigerians rallying in support of Borno during the Maiduguri flood disaster—Buratai argued that the same spirit of unity is needed in the fight against insecurity.
His comments come amid rising concerns over deteriorating security conditions nationwide. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in its latest report, raised alarm over escalating rights violations, disclosing that more than 50 people were killed in separate attacks within a single week.
Buratai maintained that military operations alone are insufficient, insisting that civilian participation through awareness campaigns, media engagement, and community mobilisation must complement the fight.
“Citizens must be mobilised psychologically, through the press, social media, and community structures, to overcome what I call the so-called terrorists and bandits,” he added.
