The government’s Nigeria and Benin Republic have signed a new security alliance to tighten border operations and crush terror networks
The agreement would deepen military cooperation through joint border operations, real-time intelligence sharing and coordinated counter-terrorism measures.
This was coming following the conclusion of a three-day strategic working visit to Cotonou by the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd.).
The visit, hosted by Benin’s Minister of National Defence, Mr. Gildas Agonkan, produced fresh commitments by both countries to strengthen regional security architecture, combat transnational crimes and deny terrorists safe havens along their shared borders.
In separate meetings with the Beninese Defence Minister and the country’s military high command, Musa stressed the need for stronger collaboration among West African nations to tackle terrorism, banditry, piracy and other emerging security threats confronting the sub-region.
The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to protecting democratic institutions, stabilising border communities and enhancing security across the Gulf of Guinea, a region that has remained vulnerable to piracy and organised maritime crime.
A major outcome of the discussions was the decision to establish a real-time intelligence fusion mechanism to enable both countries exchange actionable intelligence capable of identifying, tracking and neutralising terrorist groups and transnational criminal syndicates before they strike.
Gen Musa reiterated the Federal Government’s zero-tolerance policy against terrorism, urging Benin to sustain closer operational cooperation with Nigeria to prevent violent extremist organisations from exploiting the porous borders separating both countries.
He declared that Nigerian security agencies would continue to intensify operations against terrorists, bandits and other armed criminal groups.
To strengthen border security, Nigeria also proposed broader operational cooperation that would improve coordinated patrols and prevent the movement of insurgents, arms traffickers and other criminal elements across the international boundary.
As part of the working visit, the Nigerian delegation toured the Centre for Post-Conflict Demining and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (CPADD) and the Glo-Djigbe Industrial Zone (GDIZ), where discussions focused on defence technology, explosive ordnance disposal, local capacity development and industrial collaboration.
The Ministry of Defence said the engagements align with its strategic objective of building an intelligence-driven and technology-enabled defence system, while supporting regional trade and industrial growth under ECOWAS and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Gen Musa also visited Nigerian troops deployed in Togbin, Cotonou, under Operation ATILEYIN ALAFIA II, where he commended their professionalism and urged them to sustain the momentum against criminal elements operating within the region.
“We are working closely with the Republic of Benin to ensure that terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements no longer exploit our shared borders. Our joint operations will deny them freedom of movement and make our countries safer,” the minister said.
He assured the troops that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remained committed to improving their welfare through better logistics, operational support and enhanced living conditions.
Gen Musa acknowledged the sacrifices of military personnel serving both within and outside Nigeria, saying the Federal Government would continue investing in their welfare to boost operational effectiveness.
During the visit, the Defence Minister also held diplomatic discussions with Nigeria’s Ambassador to Benin, Mrs. Mopelola Ibrahim, reaffirming the Tinubu administration’s commitment to regional peace, military cooperation and stronger bilateral relations.
The latest agreements are expected to strengthen coordinated security operations between Nigeria and Benin as both countries intensify efforts to dismantle terrorist networks, combat organised crime and enhance stability across the West African sub-region
