By Atlantic Reports

Former Chief of Army Staff, retired Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, has urged Nigeria to strengthen its use of artificial intelligence, drones and integrated command systems to improve operations against terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.

Speaking on Monday in Abuja, Buratai said security agencies needed to move beyond fragmented, manpower-intensive operations towards systems that enable faster intelligence sharing and better-informed decisions.

He delivered the keynote lecture at the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DECAN) Conference and Awards Ceremony, themed “Beyond Kinetic Warfare: Harnessing Technology and Intelligence-Led Operations for Nigeria’s National Security”.

Buratai argued that combining surveillance technology with human intelligence could improve how security forces identify threats, coordinate deployments and plan rescue operations.

Connecting Intelligence to Response

The retired army chief cited a reported agreement between the Federal Ministry of Defence and the United Kingdom’s MARSS Group for an artificial intelligence-driven Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) system.

According to him, the proposed system would combine information from sensors, drones, ground vehicles and maritime assets, giving commanders a shared picture of operational conditions.

“In traditional counterinsurgency, information is delayed, incomplete and fragmented,” he said.

Buratai said integrated systems could shorten response times and improve situational awareness, helping commanders make decisions with more complete information.

However, his remarks did not establish the reported agreement’s value, deployment timetable or implementation status. The capabilities he described were anticipated benefits, rather than demonstrated results from its use in Nigeria.

Surveillance Must Include Community Knowledge

Buratai said drones could help monitor forests and other difficult terrain used by kidnappers and armed groups, potentially reducing the personnel required for some surveillance tasks.

“You don’t need 1,000 men; you just need drones flying over those areas,” he said.

He argued that aerial surveillance could help security forces identify locations and prepare rescue operations. He nevertheless stressed that technology could not replace information from people who understood the communities and terrain involved.

“A drone’s signal intelligence can locate a target, but only people in the community can explain why that target matters and what action is most appropriate,” he said.

His position gives local knowledge a central role in intelligence-led operations. Detecting a location or movement does not, by itself, establish who is involved or determine the appropriate response.

For communities facing insecurity, the intended benefit is more timely protection and better-informed intervention. Whether those outcomes follow would depend on how agencies verify intelligence and act on it.

Technical Capacity and Measurable Results

Buratai called for greater investment in Nigerian personnel capable of operating and maintaining advanced defence systems.

He warned that technology needed to become part of routine security operations, supported by technical expertise, rather than remain an isolated capability.

He also urged stronger coordination between agencies and said spending on technology should produce measurable improvements in national security.

The lecture did not provide comparative costs to support his description of drone surveillance as cost-effective. It also did not outline performance measures for assessing response times, rescue outcomes or reductions in attacks.

Those details would help establish whether new equipment improves public safety and whether agencies have the personnel and resources to sustain its use.

Buratai said an effective security architecture required technology, human intelligence, community engagement and strategic communication working together.

The conference also featured the launch of DECAN’s maiden magazine, The Defence Correspondent, intended to strengthen professional defence reporting and public understanding of national security issues.

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