The Nigerian Air Force has expressed concerns over the increased security pressure on Nigeria’s armed forces following the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali from ECOWAS.
During a meeting with senior Air Force officials in Abuja, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, Nigeria’s Chief of Air Staff, emphasized that the move has disrupted regional security cooperation frameworks, including the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
Abubakar also highlighted the growing threat from extremist groups in the Sahel, which are exploiting weak governance structures and porous borders in the Lake Chad Basin to expand their influence.
He stressed the urgent need for a more robust security strategy to reduce the burden on the Nigerian Armed Forces and ensure adequate support for the MNJTF, which plays a critical role in combating Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP).
