Nigeria has sent 197 soldiers to The Gambia as part of a peacekeeping mission. Major General Boniface Sinjen, the Nigerian Army’s Chief of Operations, announced the deployment on Friday during a graduation ceremony in Kaduna.
The troops, designated as Nigerian Company 9 of the Economic Community of West African States Mission in The Gambia (ECOMIG), underwent intensive training for over a month before their departure. This training, conducted at the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre, equipped them with the skills and knowledge necessary for peacekeeping duties.
The deployment is crucial in maintaining peace and protecting lives in the West African region, as The Gambia faces “a period of uncertainty and instability”, according to Major-General Sinjen. The high-ranking military official stated that the initiative aligns with the commitment of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, to deploy well-trained peacekeepers to support international peace and security efforts.
He stressed the importance of professionalism, discipline, and upholding human rights while the troops perform their peacekeeping duties in Gambia. “As ambassadors of the armed Forces of Nigeria and our great nation, you must uphold the esteemed values and enviable image of this country,” Sinjen charged.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
