While there are a number of studies on civil-military relations, very few have looked at how citizens experience the use and abuse of power by the military and how this affects their physical security. This is clearly an area of concern especially because of the recurrent/daily use of the military in an internal role in Nigeria. The few available studies on the phenomenon have raised concern about military excesses but at the same time acknowledge that the use of the military in an internal role has become a necessary evil in Nigeria. By focusing on Plateau State which is experiencing protracted violence since year 2001, this study attempts to understand the problematic of using the military in an internal role and how this is experienced by civilians who are caught in the middle of these violent conflicts that threatens political stability, peace and development in this particular State in Nigeria.