Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, has called for cooperation among security agencies between Ghana and Nigeria in order to tackle the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the two countries.
Mr Monguno made the call when he delivered a lecture at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College titled “The State of Security in West Africa: Curbing the Spread of Terrorism and Preventing Coup Contagion” to members of the Ghana Armed Forces and students in Ghana.
A statement on Tuesday by the ONSA’s Head of Strategic Communication, Zakari Usman, said that Mr Monguno stressed that the much-needed collaboration would also help in stamping out herder/farmer’ clashes, cross-border movement of criminals and drug trafficking in the region.
According to the statement, the NSA underscored the importance of countering terrorism and violent extremism, transnational organised crime, climate change, cyber threats, porous borders and piracy/sea robbery in the Gulf of Guinea.
The statement read: “Over the course of his visit, NSA Monguno met with senior Ghanaian and Nigerian officials, including the Minister of National Security, Hon Albert Kan- Dapaah, and the Ambassador Nigeria High Commission, His Excellency Ambassador Ibok – Ete Ekwe Ibas.
“He also paid a courtesy call on the Vice President of Ghana, Alhaji (Dr) Mahamudu Bawumia.
“The NSA also visited the Secretariat of the Accra Initiative (ACRI), where he was briefed on the organisation and its activities.
“In his meetings, NSA Monguno conveyed the appreciation of President Muhammadu Buhari to the Ghanaian Minister of National Security for his visit to Nigeria in October 2021.
“NSA Monguno congratulated the Minister of National Security on the successful hosting of the maiden edition of ECOWAS Forum of NSAs and advised that the takeaways from the meeting which included the need to strengthen collective regional response, developing capabilities to tackle regional threats and the development of regional security be vigorously pursued and implemented.
“He further discussed the issue of Coup d’états within the sub-region and reiterated the need for vigilance and cooperation.
“NSA Monguno discussed with Ghanaian officials the challenges of maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and intimated on the successes recorded via the FALCON EYE facility by Nigeria in curbing security threats in the maritime domain.
“He also underscored the need to deter the expansion of terrorist groups in East Burkina Faso and Southern Mali.
“He suggested that these two axes be discussed in the next Accra Initiative Summit and ECOWAS Forum of NSAs.
“NSA Monguno called for cooperation among security agencies between Ghana and Nigeria in tackling the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, herders and farmers’ clashes, cross-border movement of criminals and drug trafficking in the region.”
