On Tuesday, President Muhammadu Buhari said that weapons from the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine were now making their way into the Lake Chad Basin.
An area in West and Central Africa that spans Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria is known as the Lake Chad region.
Buhari, who is also the Summit’s Chairman, said the situation that had increased the proliferation of small arms and light weapons called for a reawakening of the border security of the countries in the region in his opening remarks at the 16th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), held at the Conference Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to President Buhari, the violence in the Sahel area of West Africa as well as the crisis between Russia and Ukraine have made the Boko Haram terrorism in the Lake Chad Basin region worse.
Despite significant efforts to weaken the influence of the terrorist organization Boko Haram and other violent extremist organizations in the area, he claimed that terrorist threats continued to exist.
“I am happy to report to my beloved brothers that the MNJTF has since then successfully carried out three major operations: Ops’YANCIN TAFKI (I&II) and Ops Lake Sanity I, with a fourth one, Ops Lake Sanity II, scheduled.
The operation’s subsequent phase will successfully consolidate the benefits made by earlier operations by taking into account the lessons learned from earlier exercises.
“I am pleased to report that terrorists gathering on the Lake Chad Islands were efficiently destroyed during the execution of Ops Lake Sanity I.
However, it must be made clear that despite the valiant MNJTF forces’ victories and the numerous continuing national operations in the area, terrorist dangers continue to exist there.
The proliferation of small arms and light weapons, which continues to undermine regional peace and security, has increased as a result of the illicit transit of armaments into the area.
Therefore, our border control agencies and other security services must work quickly and collaboratively to block the flow of any illicit firearms in the area, he added.
The supply of sustainable development projects, according to the President, will improve living conditions for the populace and restore their faith in the government, thereby completing the picture of the region’s continuous efforts.
