Former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai (retired), has come under criticism following recent comments by national security analyst, Dennis Amachree.
Speaking on News Central TV from 6:58 on August 25, 2025, Amachree questioned Buratai’s call for a national emergency on insecurity, pointing out that during his years in office, he failed to decisively tackle banditry and Boko Haram.
In the interview, Amachree said Buratai was Chief of Army Staff for eight years, from 2015, at a time when insurgency and bandit attacks were at their peak. According to him, Buratai knew the locations of the bandits but did not eliminate them. “He was Chief of Army Staff and he knew where they were. The bandits were there, and he didn’t eliminate them,” Amachree stated.
The analyst further argued that the current military leadership is performing better than in Buratai’s era, noting recent arrests and surrenders of top militia leaders. He explained that unlike before, today’s armed forces share intelligence across different security agencies, rather than operating in silos, which has improved counter-insurgency efforts.
Amachree also emphasized that insecurity has lingered for over 16 years, but stronger coordination between the military, the DSS, and the office of the National Security Adviser is finally producing results. He concluded that while Buratai did “one or two things” in office, the present approach shows more determination to eliminate insurgents and restore peace.
