Former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai (retd.), has weighed in on the growing controversy surrounding the inability of Nigeria’s security agencies to track kidnappers and terrorists who openly communicate and share videos from their hideouts.
Speaking during an interview on TVC, Buratai dismissed suggestions that security agencies lack the technical capacity to locate criminal groups responsible for kidnappings and terrorist attacks across the country.
His remarks come amid increasing public frustration over the activities of bandits and terrorists, many of whom have released videos showing hostages, issued threats, and even negotiated ransom payments through phone calls and online platforms without being traced or apprehended.
“I don’t think they failed to locate. If they can locate ordinary citizens or social media influencers, I don’t believe they can’t locate these bandits that flaunt their loot or whatever activities they do,” Buratai said.
The former army chief suggested that operational considerations rather than a lack of capability may explain why security agencies do not always move immediately against kidnappers after tracing them.
“There may be operational reasons behind their decisions. I would not like to say it is a capacity-building challenge, but I think they may have their reasons,” he added.
For years, Nigerians have questioned how heavily armed criminal groups continue to operate despite regularly releasing videos from forests and remote camps. Critics argue that modern surveillance technology, intelligence gathering, telecommunications tracking, and drone capabilities should make it easier to identify and neutralize such threats.
The debate intensified following several high-profile abductions in which kidnappers maintained contact with victims’ families for days or weeks, raising concerns about why security forces were unable to pinpoint their locations and rescue victims.
Addressing such concerns, Buratai noted that hostage rescue operations are often more complicated than they appear and may require security agencies to exercise caution to avoid putting captives at greater risk.
According to him, the Nigerian military possesses specialized units trained for hostage rescue missions, including the Nigerian Army’s Special Forces and the Nigerian Navy’s Special Boat Service.
However, he explained that concerns about the safety of hostages and the possibility of collateral damage often influence operational decisions in kidnapping situations.
Buratai also emphasized the need to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture through increased recruitment.
“There is a need for more operatives. We need more troops to be recruited, more operatives and more policemen,” he said.
His comments are likely to fuel further debate over whether Nigeria’s security challenges stem from operational constraints, manpower shortages, intelligence gaps, or strategic decisions made during sensitive rescue operations.
As kidnappings and terrorist attacks continue to pose serious threats across parts of the country, many Nigerians remain eager for answers on why criminal groups often appear to operate openly despite advances in surveillance and intelligence technology.
