Nigeria spent no less than $9 billion to liberate Liberia and Sierra Leone during their civil wars, Nigeria’s defence adviser to the UN, Brig.-Gen. Edward Koleoso has said.

Mr Koleoso stated this during a visit by participants of the United States Army War College to the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the UN in New York on Monday.

He also said that Nigeria sacrificed not only financial resources but also lost human and material resources to liberate the two countries.

“Noteworthy also that these two missions alone cost the Nigerian government well over nine billion dollars in order to execute. Quite a number of my colleagues, seniors, and subordinates lost a couple of officers and men in all these peacekeeping operations.

“But Nigeria never asked for any form of compensation, nothing. It was just done out of benevolence in order to show that we have the interests of others at heart and we are interested in international peace and security,” Mr Koleoso explained.

The Nigerian military adviser said it was gladdening to see that both Liberia and Sierra Leone are enjoying peace, stability, and prosperity today.

“It’s even comforting to note that Sierra Leone presently sits at the UN Security Council as a Non-Permanent Member today.

“These are some of the things that my dear country has done within our sub-region,” he stressed.

Mr Koleoso said that at the onset of the Liberian crisis in 1990, the then Organisation of African Unity lacked a standing force to mediate.

According to him, the United Nations was also preoccupied with the conflict in Yugoslavia, leaving ECOWAS ro grapple with the Liberian crisis.

“Of course, Nigeria took the lead in rallying other countries within the sub-region to form the ECOWAS Monitoring Group,” he said.

Mr Koleoso said ECOMOG entered the country and restored law and order. And from there, the United Nations came.

The Nigerian defence adviser also said Nigeria has contributed no fewer than 200,000 peacekeepers to 41 UN peacekeeping missions.

“From independence till date, Nigeria has contributed over 200,000 peacekeeping forces to United Nations operations globally,” he said. “Nigeria has also participated in 41 peacekeeping missions ranging from Africa, Asia, Europe, to the Middle East, amongst many others”.

Mr Koleoso also talked about the Nigerian military’s exploits in Darfur, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, and, recently, the Republic of Benin.

(NAN)