Acting on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to reinforce Nigeria’s national security architecture and curb cross-border threats, Taraba State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, on Friday led a high-powered Nigerian delegation to Cameroon for a strategic security assessment aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation against terrorism and transnational crimes.
The delegation included key national security stakeholders such as former Governor of Abia State and Chairman of the Senate Committee on the South East Development Commission, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu; Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Senator Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi; Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Bonzema John; security intelligence executives from ETOS (an Israeli security firm); Member of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Peter Abel Diau; a representative from the Office of the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Col. J.G. Kwelle, as well as the military attaché from the Nigerian Embassy, among others.
The team arrived the Yaoundé International Airport at exactly 1:15 p.m. and proceeded immediately to the headquarters of the elite Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR), Cameroon’s frontline counter-terrorism force.
They were received by the General Coordinator of the BIR, Brigadier General Relence Francois, who delivered an extensive briefing on the battalion’s operational architecture, successes, challenges, and global-standard models in counter-terrorism, amphibious operations, and border security.
General Francois stressed that Cameroon’s security strategies have produced measurable results and could significantly strengthen Nigeria’s ongoing operations against insurgency, particularly in border states such as Taraba, Borno, and Adamawa.
In his remarks, Governor Kefas described the mission as a pivotal step in reinforcing long-standing security ties between the two nations. He emphasized that the visit was not ceremonial but a direct response to intelligence reports and the urgent need to secure Nigeria’s vulnerable border communities.
“This is a product of long term intelligence gathering which I have also shared with the National security adviser and other security agencies. We have always looked forward to collaborating with Cameroonian government on border security. This meeting provides an opportunity to inspect vulnerable border communities, crossing points, and known corridors of illegal movement. We will now return to Nigeria, brainstorm with the National security Adviser and meet with the president,” Kefas stated.
He added that the engagements with Cameroonian authorities would “help establish pathways for joint intelligence fusion, early-warning alerts, and harmonized operational mechanisms.”
Kefas expressed optimism that the insights gained from the visit will accelerate efforts to secure Taraba’s porous borders, long exploited for arms trafficking, militant infiltration, and human smuggling. He also conveyed President Tinubu’s goodwill and urged the BIR to sustain its commitment to regional security.
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu commended the BIR for its discipline and operational readiness.
“Nigeria and Cameroon are more than neighbors. We are partners in a shared battle against forces that threaten our collective stability,” he said. “I commend the BIR for the courage they have shown over the years. We must continue to work together to ensure that cross-border insecurity becomes a thing of the past.”
Kalu reaffirmed the Senate’s willingness to support frameworks that strengthen regional security cooperation.
Senator Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi described the BIR’s presentations as “highly informative and timely.”
“As Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, I will ensure that the insights gathered here inform part of our work in strengthening Nigeria’s security and intelligence systems,” he said. “Cross-border crimes require cross-border solutions, and this visit has underscored the need for deeper, institutionalized cooperation between our two countries.”
He stressed that improved surveillance, intelligence sharing, and joint border operations are essential to defeating insurgency.
Other members of the delegation—including the Taraba State House of Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Bonzena John; Member of the House, Hon. Peter Abel Diau; representatives of the Chief of Defence Intelligence; and ETOS security experts—echoed the need for intensified collaboration between both countries.
The mission underscores President Tinubu’s security agenda, built on diplomacy, intelligence integration, and technology-driven border management as core pillars for stabilizing Nigeria’s frontier regions.
