Army chief Waidi Shaibu has called for stronger military cooperation among West African countries to combat terrorism and transnational security threats.
Mr Shaibu made the call on Wednesday when he received Sierra Leone’s defence chief, Amara Bangura, at Army Headquarters, Abuja. Army spokesman Appolonia Anele disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
Mr Shaibu said enhanced intelligence sharing, joint training and operational coordination were critical to strengthening regional security and addressing emerging threats.
He stated that Nigeria’s contributions to peace enforcement and peace support operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone were made under the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group.
According to him, Nigerian troops made significant sacrifices that helped restore stability to both countries during periods of conflict.
Mr Shaibu said Nigeria’s military experience and strategic position placed a responsibility on the country to sustain its support for regional peace. He identified counterterrorism operations, military capacity building and multinational cooperation as key areas requiring sustained engagement.
He expressed concern over the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The army chief also raised concerns about the emergence of the Alliance of Sahel States after the three countries left ECOWAS. Mr Shaibu called for sustained diplomatic engagement and strategic cooperation to preserve regional cohesion and combat terrorism and violent extremism.
He congratulated Mr Bangura on completing his tenure as chairman of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff.
Mr Shaibu commended Bangura’s contributions to regional military cooperation and reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to strengthening bilateral defence relations with Sierra Leone. He also pledged continued support for collective security initiatives across West Africa.
Mr Bangura acknowledged Nigeria’s role in restoring peace to Sierra Leone during its civil war and thanked Nigerian troops for their sacrifices.
Mr Bangura reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s solidarity with Nigeria in addressing contemporary security challenges. He pledged to sustain military cooperation among Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The Sierra Leonean defence chief also supported initiatives to honour veterans whose contributions to regional peace operations helped stabilise West Africa.
(NAN)