BY Fredrick Nwabufo
The chiefs of defence staff of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member countries are currently meeting in Senegal to fashion out ways of ending the region’s security challenges.
According Rabe Abubakar, defence spokesman, the meeting is also “in continuation of the multinational approach to end security related challenges within the ECOWAS member nations”.
Gabriel Olonisakin, chief of defence staff, leads the Nigerian delegation to the meeting.
“The meeting is deliberating on new structures of the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) and the Peace Support Operations Division (PSOD). Other areas of discussion include ECOWAS Mission in Guinea Bissau (ECOMIB), Exit Strategy and the implementation of the Defence and Security Sector Reform Programme (DSSRP) in Guinea Bissau,” Abubakar said.
“The Nigerian delegates are using the occasion to brief the wider regional body about the Boko Haram insurgency and the efforts the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) member countries are putting in place to end Boko Haram terrorists activities in the region.
“It would be recalled that the CDS, Gen Olonisakin attended similar meeting some days back in Mali where regional efforts to curb terrorism and insurgency were extensively discussed. With increased regional and continental awareness of the evil of the terrorism and related crimes in the West African Sub Region, the perpetrators of evils will have it rough with regional forces.
“Highlight of the conference was the presentation of papers by Nigeria CDS and the Chief of the Naval Staff on Boko Haram insurgency and maritime security and the challenges of emerging maritime crimes respectively.
“Among the entourage who accompanied the CDS included the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas and the Chief of Training and Operations at Defence Headquarters, Major General Shehu Yusuf and other staff officers of the Defence Headquarters”.
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