Seeking balance.

Sumaila Ogbaje, Buratai seeks balance between military discipline, constitutional rights. New Diary, 9 October 2025.

Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), retired Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has called for a careful balance between the demands of military discipline and the constitutional rights of personnel under Nigeria’s evolving democratic system. 

Buratai made the call in Abuja at the public presentation of the book “Annotation of Cases on Court Martial,” co-authored by Maj.-Gen. Mahmoo Wambai and Mr Ali Omachi (Esq) on Thursday.

He said Nigeria’s court-martial system, rooted in British military tradition, had undergone a profound transformation over the decades, mirroring the nation’s political and legal evolution.

“The imperative for military discipline must now be balanced with the constitutional rights of personnel and the scrutiny of civilian appellate courts,” he said.

Buratai highlighted landmark judgments such as Eweka v. Nigerian Army and Gideon Uweri v. Nigerian Army as milestones that reinforced fair hearing and delineated court-martial jurisdiction within democratic norms.

According to him, these rulings reflect the growing tension and harmony between the rule of law and the demands of command and control in a professional force.

“A fair and just military justice system is the bedrock of disciplined armed forces and a stable democracy.

“For the military, court martials remain indispensable for enforcing conduct and professionalism; for democracy, they demonstrate that the Armed Forces are firmly under the rule of law,” he said.