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President Julius Bio of Sierra Leone has conferred the prestigious Grand Commander of the Order of the Rokel on Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, an army general.
The award is in recognition of his outstanding contributions to peace and stability in Sierra Leone.
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The decoration was performed during a colourful parade marking the 17th Armed Forces Day of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces in Freetown.
This is contained in a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Samaila Uba, on Thursday in Abuja.
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Speaking on the award, Mr Bio said it was in recognition of Mr Oluyede’s service under the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), as well as the sacrifices of Nigerian officers and soldiers who played critical roles in ending Sierra Leone’s civil war.
In his citation, the Sierra Leonean authorities noted that Mr Oluyede served as a Platoon Commander at the residence of the then Head of State between 1992 and 1994, where he demonstrated exemplary leadership, professionalism and commitment to the protection of government institutions.
According to Mr Uba, the ceremony also honoured other distinguished military figures, including former Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff, Martin Luther Agwai, alongside senior officers from Kenya, Guinea, the United States and the United Kingdom.
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“During the event, special tribute was paid to the Nigerian Armed Forces for their courage and solidarity under ECOMOG, with Sierra Leone commending Nigeria’s decisive role in restoring peace and safeguarding civilians during the conflict.
“The honour further underscores the enduring military and diplomatic ties between Nigeria and Sierra Leone, as well as Nigeria’s leadership in regional peace support operations,” he said.
(NAN)
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