The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), has announced plans to gradually withdraw the armed forces from internal security duties as the Nigeria Police Force builds its capacity.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that Musa made this known during the APC Abuja Roundtable on Thursday. He stated that the military’s growing involvement in police affairs reflects declining confidence in the police, noting that while the constitution allows military intervention, the current level of exposure is excessive.
“If there are issues that are beyond the police, the military can come in. But the idea is… it is too much. We are too exposed,” Musa said. “We’re assisting the police as they are building their capacity. Gradually, we too will start pulling out and going back to the barracks so that we can have time to rest.”
The minister disclosed that he recently attended a security meeting with the Inspector-General of Police to assess how to enhance the police force, stating that troops are stretched by repeated deployments.
“You will spend two years in one place, then you are moving to the northwest. Sometimes you don’t even see your family,” he added.
On non-kinetic measures, Musa emphasized the need for better identity registration and expressed regret over the destruction of tollgates, describing them as crucial security measures.
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