THE Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, has warned that the recent withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has placed a greater security burden on Nigeria’s military.
Speaking today at the first-quarter meeting with branch chiefs, air officers commanding, and commanders in Abuja, Abubakar stated that the withdrawal had disrupted regional security frameworks, particularly affecting the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
“The recent withdrawal of the Alliance of Sahel States from ECOWAS has disrupted existing security frameworks. This development has direct implications for the MNJTF, which has played a crucial role in countering Boko Haram and ISWAP across Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon,” he said.
He added that with Chad also considering withdrawal, the MNJTF’s ability to conduct joint operations would be further weakened, increasing Nigeria’s responsibility in the fight against terrorism.
He emphasized the need for a more agile and adaptive response from the Nigerian Air Force to address these security gaps.
Speaking further, Abubakar also raised concerns about the rising influence of extremist groups in the Sahel, warning that Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists were exploiting weak governance and porous borders to expand their operations in the Lake Chad Basin.
“West Africa’s security landscape in 2024 remained highly complex. The Sahel region continued to be a hotspot for terrorism and insurgency, with extremist groups taking advantage of weak governance. In the Lake Chad Basin, porous borders have allowed these elements to persist, threatening regional stability,” he stated.
He also highlighted maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea, including piracy and illegal oil bunkering, stressing the need for enhanced aerial surveillance and regional cooperation to strengthen security.
On Nigeria’s internal security, the Air Chief commended the progress made in counterinsurgency operations in the North-East and North-West in 2024, citing improved coordination between the Air Force and ground troops.
However, he warned of emerging threats, including renewed Boko Haram attacks and the rise of the Lakurawa group in the North-West.
He noted that Boko Haram had recently used drones carrying locally fabricated grenades in a kamikaze-style attack on troops in Wajiroko, Damboa LGA.
To counter such threats, he called for the implementation of a comprehensive anti-drone defense system to protect military personnel and assets.
Abubakar also noted improved security in the South-East, where secessionist attacks had reduced following military operations and the arrest of Simon Ekpa in Finland. Similarly, he pointed to successes in the South-South, where increased aerial surveillance under Operation Delta Safe had significantly curbed crude oil theft and illegal bunkering.
Meanwhile, the Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Maj. Gen. Adamu Laka, warned that terrorist groups were becoming more confident, expanding their operations into coastal West Africa, including Benin Republic.
Speaking at the Regional Seminar on Strengthening Capacities for the Implementation of the Accra Initiative, Laka emphasized the need for stronger regional security cooperation, noting that terrorism and transnational crimes thrive in ungoverned spaces and porous borders.
Echoing similar concerns, Maj. Gen. Richard Gyane, Commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, revealed that terrorism-related deaths in West Africa had surged from just one percent of global incidents in 2007 to 43 percent by 2023.
He warned that extremist groups, initially concentrated in Mali, had expanded into Burkina Faso and now account for 58 percent of all violent extremist attacks in the Sahel. Their activities, he said, were gradually spreading to coastal countries like Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, and Togo, raising fears of further expansion toward Ghana.
Gyane further noted that terrorist expansion is being fueled by organized crime, including arms trafficking, human smuggling, and illicit trade in oil, precious metals, and timber.
