CDS Oluyede Honoured with Sierra Leone’s Grand Commander Award

The President of Sierra Leone, Dr. Julius Maada Bio, has conferred the prestigious Grand Commander of the Order of the Rokel on Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede.

The honour was bestowed during a colourful parade marking the 17th Armed Forces Day of the Republic of Sierra Leone. This was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the Director of Defence Information, Major-General Samaila Uba.

General Oluyede received the award in recognition of his contributions to peace and security in Sierra Leone during his service under the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG). The honour also acknowledged the sacrifices made by Nigerian officers and soldiers who played key roles in restoring stability to the country.

While reading his citation, organisers highlighted Oluyede’s deployment as a Platoon Commander at the residence of the then Sierra Leonean Head of State between 1992 and 1994. His leadership, dedication and commitment to safeguarding peace and government stability during that period were specially commended.

Other distinguished personalities from Nigeria, Guinea, the United Kingdom, the United States and Kenya were also decorated at the ceremony. Among them were former Nigerian CDS, General Martin Luther Agwai (rtd); Lieutenant-General Daniel Opande of Kenya (rtd); Lieutenant-General Ibrahima Sory Bangoura of Guinea; Major-General Paul Rogers of the United States; and Brigadier-General Edward Butler (rtd) of the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom and Germany have reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Nigeria’s fight against insecurity.

The pledge was made when the British Defence Attaché, Brigadier Tom Harper, and his German counterpart, Colonel Boris Bovecamp, visited the Headquarters of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) in Maiduguri.

Brigadier Harper emphasised the strong and enduring relationship between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, built on mutual respect and shared values such as the rule of law, democracy and human rights. He commended the Nigerian Armed Forces for their efforts in combating terrorism in the North-East, particularly through Operation Hadin Kai, and reiterated the UK’s readiness to provide additional training and support through the British Military Advisory Team (BMATT).

Colonel Bovecamp, on his part, said his visit was aimed at exploring areas for future collaboration, especially in capacity building and regional cooperation initiatives to strengthen operational effectiveness in the fight against terrorism.

Responding, the Theatre Commander of OPHK, Major-General Abdulsalam Abubakar, praised the contributions of the UK and German defence teams, noting that their training programmes have enhanced the skills and operational readiness of troops in addressing evolving security challenges.

He stressed that the partnerships remain mutually beneficial and critical to ongoing counter-insurgency efforts.