Former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, said Nigeria’s security agencies have the capacity to locate and track bandits, arguing that criminals should not be harder to find than ordinary citizens.
Buratai while responding to questions about the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State by suspected gunmen said he did not believe security agencies lacked the capability to identify the whereabouts of bandits if they could monitor and locate regular citizens and social media users.
“I don’t believe security agencies cannot locate bandits if they can locate ordinary citizens and social media influencers,” Buratai said.
The retired lieutenant general, however, suggested that security agencies may have operational reasons for their actions while stressing the need for stronger capacity across the country’s security architecture.
He called for the recruitment, training and retraining of more military personnel, intelligence operatives and police officers to strengthen Nigeria’s response to insecurity.
Buratai’s remarks come amid renewed concerns over kidnappings, banditry and attacks on schools and communities in several parts of the country, prompting calls for more effective intelligence gathering and security operations.
Nigeria has battled armed banditry, kidnapping and insurgency for years, with security agencies continuing operations aimed at curbing violence and protecting civilians across affected regions.