The Chairman of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff and the Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa led his counterparts from the West African sub-region to the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), in Abuja on 9 August, 2024.

                                                                                  CDS (left) with NC, NCTC (right)

General Musa noted that efforts were underway to bring back Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to the regional bloc,  stressing that all countries in the region must work together to address insecurity in West Africa.

He says, “For us, we feel without security, there can’t be progress. And the threats we are facing, especially on insurgency, are high, and we think it’s very, very important that we need to partner to achieve success. No country can do it alone, and that’s why it’s important.

                                                               A cross section of some of the participants at the meeting

The CDS, who said the insurgency in the region was spreading wide and fast, urged the Defence Chiefs to leave no stone unturned to curb the menace. “Insurgency is on the increase and spreading very, very wide and very fast. So we must do everything possible to ensure that we nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand.

                        Maj Gen Laka (right), welcoming Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah to the Centre as others watched

In his remarks, the National Coordinator, NCTC, Maj Gen AG Laka said there was a need for cooperation among the West African countries to defeat terrorism.

He maintained that it was important for countries in the sub region to share their experiences, noting that it remains one of the key strategies for overcoming insecurity. “We hope to partner with our brothers in the West African sub-region and the Sahel. They say if your brother’s house is on fire, it can also reach yours,” he stressed.

The National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu (7th right) in a group photograph with ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence Staff following their visit to the former

According to him, “So it’s going to be a partnership. While we are experts in the preventive aspects, we are going to partner with all those centres to address the threat of terrorism. We are in the process of talking about how we are going to come together to address this threat that is stopping development and stopping our people from reaping the dividends of democracy”.

                                                            The CDS (left) with National Coordinator, NCTC (right)