Former Army Chief Buratai Doubts Security Agencies’ Inability To Track Bandits

Retired Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, former Chief of Army Staff, has cast doubt on claims that security agencies are incapable of locating bandits in their hideouts, drawing a sharp contrast with how swiftly the same agencies track ordinary citizens and social media influencers.

Buratai made the remarks during an appearance on TVC, where he addressed mounting public anger over the brazen impunity of criminal gangs who openly display ransom proceeds on social media.

He challenged the idea that such groups remain beyond the reach of security forces, arguing that the same intelligence and tracking tools deployed against civil offenders should be equally applicable to identifying bandit locations.

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The former army chief was confronted with a recurring public grievance that bandits freely flaunt ransom money extorted from victims’ families on social media platforms, while security agencies have repeatedly demonstrated an apparent inability to trace them to their camps.

In his response, Buratai stated:

“I don’t think they fail to locate.

“If they can locate ordinary citizens or social media influencers, I don’t believe they cannot locate these bandits that flaunt their loots or their activities.”

He further stressed the urgent need for comprehensive capacity building across all security agencies, noting that bandits have continuously evolved their methods of operation and have grown increasingly bold in publicly showcasing the proceeds of their crimes.