Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, Rtd, has urged the African Union to facilitate the return of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.
Buratai made the call on Thursday in Abuja at the 2026 Voice of Nigeria Forum themed “51 Years of Nigeria’s Role in Deepening Democratic Stability in ECOWAS.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger officially left the ECOWAS on Jan. 29, 2025, having served notice a year ago, raising concerns over access to justice for the victims of serious human rights abuses in those countries.
Buratai said the mediation of the AU was necessary to restore unity and strengthen regional cooperation in West Africa.
“As it is today, we cannot say ECOWAS is united unless those three states are brought back into the fold.
“We are all of the same umbilical cord, and as it is civil, we are already in, what do you call the incubator or intensive care unit. But by and large, I believe diplomacy will work.”
Buratai, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Benin Republic, emphasized that diplomacy remained the most viable option for resolving the current regional impasse.
He also urged the League of African Ambassadors to work hard to ensure the return of the three states into the fold of ECOWAS.
“Nigeria has sacrificed and invested in blood, treasure, and diplomacy to defend democracy. Our stability is inseparable from the security of our neighbours.
“The African Union has consistently recognized this interdependence, working alongside ECOWAS to build a peaceful and integrated West Africa.
“And of course, without the voice, all those policies, all those aspirations would not have the desired impact,” he said.
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Earlier, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Mr Ola Olukoyede, called on media organizations to uphold professionalism and balance in reporting anti-corruption activities.
Olukoyede said responsible journalism was essential in strengthening public confidence in anti-graft efforts.
He recounted a case investigated by the commission where a Nigerian took about 35 million dollars cash from the nation’s treasury that was meant for the establishment of a modular refinery.
According to him, despite evidence gathered by investigators, some media reports portrayed the prosecution as politically motivated.
“The entire money was stolen. We went to the site. Even the grass was not cleared. Not to talk of putting the structure.
“We went after this man. I arrested and arraigned him. The next thing I will see on the editorial of one of the newspapers the following day is that EFCC is witch-hunting opposition.
“Nobody takes time to look at my proof of evidence. Nobody takes time to look at what has happened just because the suspect or the defendant is a member of a political party. That has made it a crime for me to go after him.
“It’s important for us to come together as Nigerians and work together. Now when I arraign members of the ruling party, nobody blinks an eyelid. Nobody makes noise.
“But the moment I see somebody who steals money, who belongs to the other side, I will present them before the court on a break loose. So, it’s important for us to be on the same page.”
The EFCC chairman also disclosed that the commission had initiated a Network of Anti-Corruption Agencies and Institutions in West Africa to enhance regional collaboration against financial crimes and terrorism financing.
“Now the ECOWAS has adopted our protocol. Within the next few months, we will operationalize that protocol so that there will be no embargo in me going to Ghana, and any part of West Africa to carry out investigation as if I’m legally able to work in that country.
“We are going to share intelligence, evidence and information so that all of us within the ambit of the regional confines of West Africa will be able to work together and stabilize this part of Africa.”
NAN
