FG moves to ease military overstretch, strengthen police

File photo: Defence Minister, Christopher Musa

The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), has said the armed forces will gradually withdraw from internal security duties as the Nigeria Police Force builds its capacity.

Musa spoke at the APC Abuja Roundtable in Abuja on Thursday.

He said the military’s growing role in police affairs reflected declining confidence in the police, adding that the constitution allows the military to step in when situations exceed the police’s capacity, but admitted the current level of involvement was excessive.

“If there are issues that are beyond the police, the military can come in. But the idea is, as you said, it is too much. We are too exposed,” he said.

He said the armed forces were supporting the police as they strengthened their capacity.

“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,” he said.

Musa said he had just come from a meeting assessing security issues with the police, attended by the Inspector-General of Police.

“We’re looking at how we can enhance the police, because my men are tired. I can tell you for free,” he said.

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He said the police were carrying out additional recruitment. “We feel if they get these things right, there’s no need for the military,” he added.

Musa said troops were being 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. It’s not like they’re enjoying it, but there’s a necessity that we have to be there,” he said.

On non-kinetic measures, the minister said Nigeria erred by scrapping tollgates.

“I think we made a mistake destroying our toll gates. Tollgates are security measures in place anywhere in the world,” he said.

He also called for better identity registration, saying, “It’s like operating a company, and you don’t know your workers. It doesn’t work that way.”