President Muhammadu Buhari has called on all other presidents in West Africa to urgently tackle the rising cases of human trafficking and terrorism in the region. Addressing heads of state at the 52nd ECOWAS Summit in Abuja on Saturday, the Nigeria leader said the problems are greatly affecting young men, women and economies of the region.
"In West Africa, we live in constant threat of violent terrorist groups such as Boko Haram, AQIM and Al-Qaida,” he said. "Nearly every week we see and hear the horror of human trafficking perpetrated by trans-border syndicates, who lure our youths to slavery through irregular migration.
"We see the consequences, on our young men and women and on our economies, of drug trafficking and capital flight. Accordingly, it is imperative that we take urgent action to address these challenges.“In collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration, we, in Nigeria, have been evacuating our compatriots who are stranded in Libya. Returnees have been receiving needed support including from state governments and some non-governmental organisations.”
Speaking on the political stalemate in Guinea-Bissau, Buhari said “it is worrisome that the continued political deadlock is taking its toll on the people, on good governance and the resources of member States, particularly troops from contributing countries to the ECOWAS Mission in Guinea Bissau.“I therefore strongly urge all the stakeholders in Guinea Bissau to respect their undertakings in plans to resolve the political impasse.”