Ahead of an ECOWAS summit this weekend, Nigeria's top military commander General Christopher Musa spoke to Al Jazeera about the security challenges facing West Africa.
With Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso withdrawing from the regional bloc ECOWAS in January, Musa said diplomatic efforts are underway to bring Niger back into the fold. He said Nigeria wants to avoid military conflict with its neighbor.
Musa stated Nigeria faces hurdles acquiring weapons to combat armed groups like Boko Haram despite having the funds. He claimed some countries block sales due to past operations. Musa argued Nigeria deserves access like Ukraine, saying the weapons often end up in the wrong hands anyway.
On a December drone strike that killed 80 civilians, Musa admitted it was a mistake and findings will be released soon. He maintained Nigeria's military does not deliberately target civilians.
Overall, Musa called for unity against armed groups spreading through the Sahel into West Africa. He said no country can defeat the threat alone and urged international cooperation to stem the proliferation of weapons flooding the region.