COAS: Troops Record Significant Casualties to Halt State Collapse, Restore Law in Liberia

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has said Nigerian troops bore the brunt of peace enforcement operations in Liberia, recording significant casualties to halt state collapse and restore law and order during the country’s civil war.

He noted that Nigeria’s intervention, undertaken under the auspices of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), was driven by firm political resolve and regional responsibility.

According to him, the federal government committed substantial troops, resources and diplomatic support over an extended period, laying the groundwork for Liberia’s national reconciliation, democratic transition and post-conflict reconstruction.

Shaibu made these remarks yesterday at the Barclay Training Center in Monrovia, where he attended events marking the 69th Armed Forces Day Anniversary of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) as Special Guest of Honour.

Reaffirming Nigeria’s strategic leadership in regional peace and security, the COAS declared that the relative stability Liberia enjoys today was a direct outcome of deliberate governmental action, African solidarity and the sacrifices of Nigerian troops.

He stressed that Nigeria’s involvement was neither incidental nor transactional, but a conscious foreign and defence policy decision taken in the collective interest of West African stability.

In a statement by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Apollonia Anele, the Army emphasised that Nigeria’s role in Liberia’s civil conflict reflected its long-standing commitment to regional peacekeeping and security cooperation.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s contribution to rebuilding Liberia’s defence architecture, Shaibu recalled his personal involvement in the early phases of restructuring the AFL.

Speaking at a dinner held in his honour, he recounted working alongside the late Major General Suraj Alawo Abdurrahman, then Chief of Staff of the AFL, and other regional partners in what he described as a complex “aircraft-in-flight” reform process—rebuilding the military while it remained operational.

He expressed satisfaction that officers mentored during that formative period now occupy key leadership positions within the AFL, describing the Liberian military as a testament to sustained international partnership, regional cooperation and fidelity to professional military values.

The COAS urged the AFL to safeguard its ethos of sacrifice, professionalism and loyalty to constitutional authority.

He assured Liberia of Nigeria’s continued advisory and capacity-building support in furtherance of national stability and regional peace.

He noted that Nigeria played a pivotal role in mentoring, training and reorienting the force, contributing to its evolution into a disciplined and democratically accountable institution now recognised as “A Force for Good”. Emphasising the enduring ties between both countries, Lieutenant General Shaibu stated that the Nigeria–Liberia defence relationship is anchored on shared sacrifice, strategic trust and a bond forged in adversity.