Nigeria and the Republic of Benin have reaffirmed to deepen their bilateral defence cooperation, harmonise regional security frameworks, and reinforce joint strategies to eliminate cross-border security threats across the West Africa sub-region.

This formed part of the actionable commitments across sectors during the engagement by the Nigerian Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa, with his Beninese counterpart, Minister of National Defence, Mr Gildas Agonkan, during the former three-day working visit to Cotonou.

The Minister urged greater alignment between regional security blocs to confront West Africa’s evolving security landscape. Both Ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding democratic governance, stabilise land borders, and secure the Gulf of Guinea against piracy and maritime crime.

“On enhanced intelligence sharing, the consensus was to establish seamless, real-time intelligence fusion mechanisms. This actionable intelligence pipeline will allow both militaries to track, trace, and neutralise transnational criminal networks and insurgent cells before they execute operations,” the Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister, Leah Katung-Babatunde, said in a statement on Friday.

Musa reaffirmed the Federal Government’s zero-tolerance stance against terrorism, and urged his host to work with Nigeria to aggressively deny safe havens to violent extremist organisations attempting to exploit shared borderlands and declared that “in Nigeria, security forces are showing no mercy to terrorists, bandits, and armed extremists”.

To reinforce border security, Nigeria offered Benin an olive branch to allow security personnel wider pursuit range at the borders to prevent insurgent spillover and illegal trafficking.

The Minister and his delegation visited the Centre for Post Conflict Demining and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Operations (CPADD) and the Glo-Djigbe Industrial Zone (GDIZ). The aim of the visits to the locations was for local capacity building in line with the Operation Pillar 3 of the Minister; Intelligence-Driven and Technology-Enabled Defence.

The sessions availed both countries the opportunity to exchange ideas aimed at boosting development and industry of both nations in line with ECOWAS protocols on trade and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.

During the visit, Musa inspected Nigerian Army troops deployed in Togbin, Cotonou, deployed on the Peace Support Mission in the Republic of Benin under Operation Atileyin Alafia II.

Addressing the troops, the Minister re-echoed his insistence on no mercy for terrorist. “We are going to partner with the troops of the Republic of Benin to ensure that we stop all those bandits, all those criminals that are killing people in our own countries, so that we can deal with them.

“One of the reasons for my visit is to come here and meet their own Minister of Defence so that we can sit down and see how we can work out our operations together, so that we can stop these people from infiltrating through our borders.”

The Defence Minister assured them of the Federal Government’s commitment to improving their welfare and providing necessary support. “A lot of good things that Mr President is preparing for you, we are following up to ensure that you live very well. We are providing the necessary aspects so that you can do your job. We know our job is very, very difficult, and most times people don’t appreciate what we are doing. But God knows we are doing our best, and we are securing Nigeria,” he said.

He also held diplomatic talks with Nigeria’s Ambassador to Benin, Mrs Mopelola Ibrahim, reiterating President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to military welfare and regional peace. He has since returned to Abuja.