PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari gave a special attention to discussions relating to ‘irregular migration’ and women trafficking from Nigeria at the one-day Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States, (CEN-SAD) held in Chad.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu disclosed this on Saturday afternoon, via his verified handle, stressing that the meeting became imperative to address worse situations where children are illegally trafficked abroad through the northern corridor.
The event organised by Idriss Deby Itno, the Chairperson of CEN-SAD, and their counterparts from Niger and Togo, with high-level representations from other member-countries.
The UN, early this year warned on increasing incidents of human trafficking, especially women and girls. There have been reported cases of Nigerian women used as sex workers also in western nations.
According to Shehu, proliferation and infiltration of small arms from nations across the Sahel and Saharan regions into the country often flows into the hands of bandits and insurgents, as a result became threat to Nigeria’s internal security.
“The President is also putting on the table for discussions, the problems of irregular migration, trafficking in persons, especially of women and children as part of the security nature of his engagements,” says Garba Shehu.
“It is in view of the significance of this organization and the role it can play in furthering domestic security that President Buhari ordered the reinvigoration of our nation’s interest, approved the payment of the backlog of unpaid funds and for a speedier work on the processes of the ratification of the treaty binding the members of the organization.”
Buhari left for N’Djamena, the Chadian Capital Saturday morning to seek wider cooperation among member countries at the CEN-SAD meeting.
He is expected to return back to the country today.
He was accompanied by the Director General, National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai, Comptroller General of Immigration, Mohammed Babandede, Governors Akinwumi Ambode, Kashim Shettima, Adegboyega Oyetola of Lagos, Borno and Osun states respectively.
Others are Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Interior, Lt-Gen Abdulrahman Danbazau (rtd), Defence Minister, Brig-Gen Mansur Dan Ali (rtd), the National Security Adviser Maj-Gen. Mohammed Monguno (rtd) among others.
“It is in view of the significance of this organization and the role it can play in furthering domestic security that President Buhari ordered the reinvigoration of our nation’s interest, approved the payment of the backlog of unpaid funds and for a speedier work on the processes of the ratification of the treaty binding the members of the organization.
“While in N’Djamena, President Buhari is also expected to press for the protection of the well-being of the large population of Nigerians living both legally and illegally in Libya, which is the host country of the CEN-SAD Secretariat,” he stated.
Olugbenga heads the Investigations Desk at The ICIR. Do you have a scoop? Shoot him an email at oadanikin@icirnigeria.org. Twitter Handle: @OluAdanikin