TheCable

Tukur Buratai, Nigeria’s ambassador to Benin Republic, says the country cannot rely on only the military to address security challenges.

Buratai spoke on Friday while presenting a lecture at the combined 24th, 25th and 26th convocation ceremony of the Modibbo Adama University in Yola, Adamawa state.

The former chief of army staff was, in February, appointed as non-career ambassador to the Republic of Benin Republic.

According to him, there also needs to be development in the north-east to address insurgency in the zone.

“Any country that does not ensure the development of its people would have security challenges,” he said.

“We should not rely on the military option as the only way to resolve our security challenges. We must address the ideological, economic, social, and political factors.

“My recent diplomatic foray has further sharpened my views on the urgent need for military, as well as non-military solution to the lingering and needless conflict.”

The former army chief also called for synergy among security agencies, as well as commitment on the part of government, civil society groups, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to address insecurity.

“Central to the argument of this paper is that security and development in the north-east should not be addressed individually but as one intrinsic element and that development is a requirement for stabilisation,” he added.