Abuja (Nigeria), November 30: Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday urged more vigilance and tightening of security around borders, drawing attention to the increased number of arms, ammunition, and other weapons in the Lake Chad Basin.
Speaking at the 16th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, Buhari, who is also chairman of the summit of heads of state and government, said the threat by terrorists in the region had been relatively brought under control, while the influx of weapons poses fresh challenges.
"Despite the successes recorded by the troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and the various ongoing national operations in the region, terrorist threats still lurk in the region," Buhari said. "A substantial proportion of the arms and ammunition procured to execute the war in Libya continues to find its way to the Lake Chad region and other parts of the Sahel."
"This illegal movement of arms into the region has heightened the proliferation of small arms and light weapons which continues to threaten our collective peace and security in the region. There is, therefore, the urgent need for expedited collaborative actions by our border control agencies and other security services to stop the circulation of all illegal weapons in the region," Buhari said.
The MNJTF, which is the body of militaries of the LCBC member states, deserved commendation for various operations that had brought measurable stability to the Lake Chad Basin, according to Buhari.
Source: Xinhua
