By Olokuta Rofiat
The Annual Regional Meeting of ECOWAS Police and Gendarmerie Focal Points opened in Abuja on Wednesday, bringing together security chiefs from across West Africa to strengthen peace support operations in the sub-region.
The two-day meeting, according to ECOWAS, aims to enhance coordination for the ECOWAS Standby Force by creating a central roster of trained police and gendarmerie officers for rapid deployment in crisis situations.
Declaring the meeting open, Chairman of the West African Police Chiefs Committee and Inspector General of Police of Sierra Leone, William Fayia Sellu—represented by Deputy IGP Sahr Yomba Senesi—said the initiative would provide a bridge between military interventions and civilian governance, restoring order while respecting citizens’ rights.
ECOWAS Director of Peacekeeping and Regional Security, Dr. Sani Adamu, who represented the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, called for capacity building, inter-agency collaboration, and dynamic strategies to tackle modern security challenges.
Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, represented by ACP Aniagboso Chinedum, welcomed delegates and pledged Nigeria’s support for deeper regional security integration.
The meeting will also discuss procedures for vetting, training, deployment, and coordination of personnel under the ECOWAS Peace Support Operations framework.
