Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu has said the deployment of Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin under Operations Atileyin Alaafia 1 and 2 was aimed at defending democracy, ensuring security, and supporting peaceful electoral processes in the West African sub-region, reflecting Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening regional security architecture and enhancing collective responses to emerging threats.
Speaking at the Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference in Abuja, Shaibu stressed the importance of deepening joint and inter-agency cooperation while integrating technology, innovation, and real-time intelligence into military operations. He said the Nigerian Army would continue to promote intelligence sharing, strategic partnerships, and collaborative mechanisms designed to deny criminal and terrorist groups freedom of action within Nigeria and across neighboring countries.
He described the deployments as part of a broader posture in which the army had continued to disrupt criminal networks, degrade adversary capabilities, and restore relative calm in previously volatile areas across the country’s various security theatres.
