Former Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd) has opened up about his tenure in the fight against insurgency, defending his leadership while acknowledging lingering challenges in Nigeria’s security landscape.
Speaking on Arise News this morning, Buratai addressed critical issues ranging from intelligence gathering to allegations of mismanaged military funds while highlighting key achievements under his command.
Buratai, who served as Nigeria Army chief from 2015 to 2021, affirmed that significant progress was made in reclaiming lost territories from Boko Haram and strengthening the Nigerian Army.
“Before 2015, Boko Haram had defined a territory of roughly 120,000 square kilometres. They had cut off several parts of the North-East, including Michika, Madagali, and the borders with Chad and Cameroon. By the time I left office, we had reclaimed all of these,” he stated.
Under his leadership, the Nigerian Army successfully cleared insurgents from multiple local government areas in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states, restoring governance in places that were previously under terrorist control. The military also reopened major highways, such as the Maiduguri-Bama Road and the Damaturu-Maiduguri Highway, that had been inaccessible for years due to Boko Haram attacks.
Buratai emphasised that a major focus of his strategy was intelligence-led operations, particularly between 2019 and 2020.
“We had a strategy to track insurgents’ logistics, from arms suppliers to food and fuel distributors. If intelligence operations had continued at the same intensity, more progress would have been made,” he stated.
However, when questioned about the military’s use of intelligence to identify terrorist financiers, Buratai clarified that such responsibilities fall under agencies like the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU). He acknowledged the synergy between the army and NFIU but reiterated that financial tracking of terrorist sponsors is primarily a task for civilian intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
Buratai spearheaded several modernisation initiatives within the Nigerian Army. He established new military commands and formations, including the Nigerian Army Special Forces Command and the Army Aviation Corps, to improve rapid response to threats.
Under his leadership, the Army procured new armoured vehicles, artillery systems, and combat drones to enhance operational effectiveness.
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