The President of Sierra Leone, Dr. Julius Bio, has decorated the Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, with the prestigious Grand Commander of the Order of the Rokel.

The honour was conferred on the CDS at a colourful parade during the 17th Armed Forces Day of Republic of Sierra Leone, a statement issued by the Director Defence Information (DDI), Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom and Germany have pledged continued support to efforts to tackle insecurity in the country.

Both countries pledged their support through their Defence Attaches, Brig. Tom Harper and Col. Boris Bovecamp, when they paid a visit to the Headquarters, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) in Maiduguri.

Aside from the Nigerian CDS, other distinguished personalities from Nigeria, Guinea, United Kingdom, United States and Kenya, were also awarded medals during the ceremony.

They included former Nigerian CDS, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (rtd), Lt.-Gen. Daniel Opande of Kenya (rtd), Lt.-Gen. Ibrahima Sory Bangoura of Guinea, Maj.-Gen. Paul Rogers of USA and Brig.-Gen. Edward Butler (Rtd) of the UK.

The award was given to Oluyede in recognition of his efforts to secure and ensure peace in Sierra Leone during the years the CDS served in the country under the umbrella of the Economic Community of West Africa Monitoring Group (ECOMOG).

According to the statement, it was also in appreciation of the sacrifices of all Nigerian officers and soldiers who contributed to Sierra Leone’s peace and stability.

While reading his citation during the award, the CDS was recognised as having served in ECOMOG in Sierra Leone in addition to other operational accomplishments.

He was deployed as a Platoon Commander at the residence of the then Sierra Leone Head of State between 1992 and 1994, where his service, leadership and unwavering commitment to the peace and stability of government were exemplified.

During the visit to Maiduguri, the British Defence Attache, Brig. Harper, highlighted the strong mutual respect and enduring relationship between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, emphasising their shared commitment to the rule of law, democracy, and human rights.

He commended the Nigerian Armed Forces’ efforts to tackle terrorism in the North East region, particularly through Operation HADIN KAI, and expressed the UK’s commitment to providing further training and support through the British Military Advisory Team (BMATT).

On his part, the Defence Attaché of Germany, Col. Bovecamp, stated that he was in the Theatre to explore possible areas of future collaboration, especially in the area of capacity building as well as possible interventions through regional cooperation arrangements to enhance operational effectiveness and collaboration to defeat terrorism.

Responding, the Theatre Commander of OPHK, Maj.-Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, lauded the significant contributions of the UK and German Defence Attachés to counter-insurgency efforts.

He noted that their training initiatives have enhanced troops’ skills and proficiency in responding to evolving security challenges in OPHK, emphasising the mutual benefit of the partnerships.