Security
Chief of the Naval Staff Receives ECOWAS Standby Force Chief of Staff, Calls for Stronger Cooperation
Chief of the Naval Staff Receives ECOWAS Standby Force Chief of Staff, Calls for Stronger Cooperation
The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has called for stronger regional maritime cooperation and urged more African militaries to participate in regional efforts to combat common security problems, just like the recently launched Combined Maritime Task Force-Gulf of Guinea (CMTF-GoG), stressing that broader regional participation would strengthen collective capacity to respond to Africa’s security challenges.
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Vice Admiral Abbas made the call on Friday, 11 September 2026, when he received the Chief of Staff, ECOWAS Standby Force, Brigadier General Sheikh Sulaiman Massaquoi, who paid a courtesy visit to the Chief of the Naval Staff at Naval Headquarters, Abuja.
The CNS highlighted Nigeria’s growing contribution to regional security through practical maritime and strategic sealift support. He referenced the recent movement of Chinese-donated ECOWAS equipment destined for frontline countries, including Benin Republic and Sierra Leone, as an example of the importance of regional logistics and mobility in supporting collective security efforts. The equipment, donated by China to ECOWAS, includes non-lethal field-support items intended to strengthen operational and humanitarian capacity.
Vice Admiral Abbas also recalled the Nigerian Navy’s strategic sealift of military hardware to Guinea-Bissau in 2022, when NNS KADA transported equipment for the Nigerian contingent deployed under the ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission. The deployment demonstrated Nigeria’s ability to sealift maritime logistics in support of regional peace and security initiatives.
Against this background, the CNS advocated stronger synergy between the ECOWAS Standby Force and CMTF-GoG, noting that maritime security challenges increasingly straddle both land and sea, requiring shared capabilities, information, and coordinated responses. He encouraged more African states to join the CMTF-GoG, building a broader regional security architecture to address transnational maritime threats.
The CNS also called for the strengthening of the ECOWAS Standby Force to ensure that it remains operationally ready and rapidly deployable against shared transnational threats, including terrorism and insurgency, and other forms of organised cross-border crime. He stressed that, as Africa’s security challenges become increasingly interconnected, no nation can confront them effectively in isolation.
Accordingly, a coordinated regional response, anchored on shared intelligence, interoperable forces, joint operations, and sustained political commitment, represents the future of African security and the most effective means of protecting the continent’s people, resources, and development aspirations.
Brigadier General Massaquoi, who conveyed greetings from the President of the ECOWAS Commission, acknowledged Nigeria’s significant role in regional security and expressed appreciation for its continued support of ECOWAS initiatives. He also underscored the need to strengthen the maritime component of the regional security architecture.
Naval
The engagement reinforced the importance of Nigeria’s strategic leadership, regional interoperability, and broader African participation in building a more responsive maritime security framework for the Gulf of Guinea and the wider West African sub-region.
ABIODUN FOLORUNSHO
Navy Captain
Director Naval Information
Nigerian Navy.
Eereporter.com
Security
ICPC Engaged Ministry of Lands on Strengthening Accountability and Integrity in Land Administration
ICPC Engaged Ministry of Lands on Strengthening Accountability and Integrity in Land Administration
ICPC Imo State Office engaged management and staff of the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Physical Planning on strengthening transparency, accountability and integrity in land administration.
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Speaking at the engagement, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr Emedoronwa Cliff, and Deputy Director, Mrs Chinwe Egbeocha, highlighted key corruption risks and the need for clearer processes, stronger controls and responsible conduct.
ICPC
The Director of Lands, ESV Igiri Chidimma Irene, appreciated the Commission’s intervention and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to embracing integrity and improving land administration.
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NAF, NCCSALW Strengthens Collaboration Against Illicit Arms Proliferation
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration to curb the proliferation of illicit arms, enhance institutional readiness and advance collective efforts towards addressing emerging security challenges.
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The commitment was underscored during a visit by NCCSALW, Office of the National Security Adviser, to Headquarters Ground Training Command (GTC), Enugu, on 10 September 2026.
Speaking during the engagement, the Director-General of NCCSALW, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Johnson Babatunde Kokumo (Rtd.) mni, represented by the Deputy Director-General and Director, Policy and Plans, Major General Sani Suleiman mni, commended the NAF’s contributions to national security and its support to the NCCSALW South East Zonal Office. He called for deeper collaboration, particularly in intelligence sharing and capacity building, to collectively address emerging security challenges.
In his remarks, the Air Officer Commanding GTC, Air Vice Marshal Adebayo Gabriel Kehinde, reaffirmed the commitment of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal SK Aneke, to strengthening inter-service and inter-agency cooperation as a critical component of the nation’s security architecture.
NAF, NCCSALW
He identified the proliferation of illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) as a key driver of security challenges confronting the nation, stressing the importance of sustained collaboration and synergy with NCCSALW towards reducing illicit arms proliferation and contributing to a safer and more secure Nigeria.
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EFCC, FBI Sets to Probe Alleged Diversion, Mismanagement of USAID Funds
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening strategic collaboration, intelligence sharing and operational synergy in investigating the alleged diversion and mismanagement of funds provided under the United States Government-supported programmes.
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The resolve was made on Thursday, September 10, 2026, when Macus Maccain, Assistant Law Enforcement Attaché, FBI, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the office of the Acting Zonal Director, Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE I Bawa Usman Kaltungo.
Speaking during the interactive session, Maccain said the visit was aimed, among other things, at strengthening existing cooperation in investigating alleged financial irregularities involving organisations that had received funds under the programmes supported by the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, particularly those connected with HIV and tuberculosis interventions.
He said the engagement became necessary following the shutdown of some USAID programmes by the United States Government in 2025.
According to him, the development subsequently raised concerns over the management of funds that remained with some implementing organisations after the programmes were discontinued.
He said some organisations were suspected of mismanaging or allegedly diverting funds that had been provided to them before the affected programmes were shut down.
“We are seeking stronger engagement with the EFCC to establish how the funds were managed and identify possible financial misconduct arising from the termination of the programmes,” he said.
Also speaking, Jeremy Kennon, Special Agent, Office of Inspector General, Department of State, said the United States and Nigerian governments had previously entered into an agreement to support the fight against HIV and tuberculosis, with the Department of State and the Nigerian Government providing funding to organisations implementing related programmes.
He said some of the organisations established one-stop centres for HIV treatment.
He, however, said subsequent reviews had uncovered concerns over inflated budgets and other financial irregularities in Kano State and several other states.
Kennon stressed that the concerns were not limited to Kano or Nigeria, noting that similar issues had been identified in different parts of the world.
According to him, the FBI was interested in developing a long-term working relationship with the EFCC on the matter, including reciprocal information sharing.
“We’ll like to work with the EFCC on this on a long-term basis, and we’ll be sharing information with you; not just getting information from you,” Kennon said.
Responding, Kaltungo welcomed the delegation on behalf of the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, and described the relationship between Nigeria and the United States as “a long-standing one, particularly in the area of law enforcement cooperation.”
He assured the delegation that the EFCC would investigate allegations surrounding the diversion or mismanagement of USAID funds across Nigeria and trace the movement of the funds to their ultimate beneficiaries.
According to him, tracing the funds and identifying the beneficiaries would enable investigators to establish “how the money was spent; whether it was deployed for the purposes for which it was provided and whether any portion was mismanaged or diverted following the cancellation of the programmes.”
EFCC
Kaltungo also assured the delegation that the investigation would be coordinated and would cover all states where the affected organisations and programmes operated.
He added that the Commission would work with the FBI to follow the financial trail and establish the facts surrounding the alleged diversion of the funds.
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