Heads of State and Government of Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Representatives of Burkina Faso, Mali. Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo have called for frameworks on tackling common sub-regional challenges.
They disclosed this in a communique’ issued against the backdrop of the high-level consultative conference on Regional Cooperation and Security held in Accra, Ghana from Thursday to Friday.
The meeting was convened by the Heads of State and Government of the Republic of Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone as well as the representatives of Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo.
The communique was made available by the Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, as issued by Dr Magnus Eze, Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Office of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
According to the minister, who led the country’s delegation, the conference was convened under the chairmanship of Ghana President John Mahama, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leaon and Liberia President Joseph Boakai, respectively.
She explained that the leaders have recognised that the Western Africa Region and its immediate neighbours were connected through geography, trade routes, shared ecosystems, and communities whose livelihoods depended mainly on cross-border movements.
They said, “Our region is currently the global epicenter of terrorism and violent extremism.
“On a daily basis, at least eight terror attacks are recorded, which claims averagely 44 lives.
“More than half of all global terrorism-related deaths are recorded in our region.
*We are witnessing an alarming uptick in extremist attacks for which inaction is not an option.
“Rather than relying on episodic diplomacy or limited operational coordination, the strategic goal is to establish a structured and permanent framework for cooperation.”
According to them, this framework is designed to develop shared programmes, standards, and infrastructure priorities while managing common risks.
The leaders added, “By fostering engagements with states central to the counterterrorism effort, the initiative recognises that fragmentation incurs heavy economic, social, and security costs that diminish collective problem-solving capacity.”
They suggested that sustainable security in Western Africa called for a shift toward a human security approach, underpinned by regional solidarity, respect for sovereignty, and a people-centred, gender-responsive approach to peacebuilding.
On security and counter-terrorism, they agreed to among other things strengthen regular meetings of states in the region, to review peace and security commitments.
“Also strengthen intelligence and information sharing, reinforce harmonization of legal frameworks to enhance cross-border prosecution of terrorism-related offenses, while safeguarding human rights and strengthen implementation of de-radicalisation programmes,” they added.
On border security and counterterrorism, they committed to consider adopting a hot-pursuit by bilateral, mini-lateral or multilateral agreement to support fights against transnational crimes.
“In the same vein, design a foundational Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Protocols on Cooperation and Security within six months after the high-level conference, as basis for further agreements,” they added.
The high-level conference featured deliberations of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security and Intelligence Chiefs of the States, participation by partners from the AU Commission, United Nations Development Programme and contributions from civil society organisations.
Highlights of the conference was reaffirmation to commitment on strengthening regional cooperation evolving peace, security and governance challenges, in order to rebuild regional stability
I was to be arrested or shot’: Defence Minister Musa speaks on failed coup plot against Tinubu’s government
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), has said he was among those singled out for arrest by officers accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and that he would have been shot if he had resisted.
Speaking on Sunday Politics on Channels Television, the minister said the plotters intended to arrest him and shoot him if he resisted.
His disclosure comes days after the Armed Forces confirmed that some of the 16 officers arrested in October 2025 would be prosecuted for allegedly attempting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
I was also a target,” General Musa, the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), said during the programme. “I was supposed to be arrested, and if I refused, I was supposed to be shot.”
In October, the military announced the arrest of 16 officers for what it described at the time as acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations.
However, authorities last week said subsequent investigations uncovered evidence linking some of the officers to a plot aimed at destabilising the government.
In a statement, the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, said findings showed that certain suspects were involved in actions “inconsistent with the ethics, values, and professional standards required of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”
He added that those found to have cases to answer would be formally arraigned before a military judicial panel in line with the Armed Forces Act and other relevant service regulations.
The alleged plot was said to have extended beyond the military hierarchy, with reports suggesting that several top government officials and other prominent Nigerians were listed as potential targets.
The attempted coup has also been linked in some quarters to the cancellation of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary parade.
Separately, the residence of former Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Sylva, was reportedly raided over alleged links to the plot, though no formal charges have been publicly confirmed
General Musa dismissed the coup plotters as lacking seriousness and the capacity to challenge the Nigerian military.
“I think these were a bunch of unserious individuals,” he said. “When you look at the calibre of persons involved, I don’t know what made them think they could take on the Armed Forces.”
He further argued that any attempt to subvert democracy would have been resisted not only by the military but also by the Nigerian public.
According to him, Nigerians have a long history of opposing military rule.
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