The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has condemned military takeovers in some West African countries, saying they have threatened democratic values in the region. He said this at the 42nd Ordinary Meeting of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff in Abuja on Wednesday, held at the Defence Headquarters in Nigeria’s capital city.
This critical meeting, which includes regional security as one of its agenda items, occurs when the bloc considers establishing a force to counter security challenges and address security issues within the continent. General Musa said the threat of military takeover must be destroyed, adding that it negates the core values and responsibilities of the military profession. In democratic countries, the military must uphold democratic values in line with the principles of their constitutions.
Also, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar, and his Foreign Affairs counterpart, Yusuf Tuggar, challenged the service chiefs from the regional bloc to tackle terrorism through effective collaboration to combat the illicit movement of small arms and light weapons in the West African sub-region.
Present at the opening ceremony is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Ahmed Lawal; the Minister of Defence; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tugger; the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Punji Ojo,
