President Muhammadu Buhari has said the Boko Haram menace in Nigeria is due to the instability in Libya.
Buhari made the remark while urging countries in the West African sub-region and the Sahel to team up against insecurity.
He spoke while receiving the new Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mr Mahamat Saleh Annadif, a Chadian, at the State House on Tuesday.
The president said: “You are our neighbour. You have vast experience on matters affecting the Sahel, having served for five years in Mali. I hope you will get the countries to work together to confront the issues affecting them.”
Describing the problems as “enormous,” Buhari noted that “Boko Haram has exerted a heavy toll in terms of lives and resources on Nigeria and some neighbouring countries, while Mali equally has a large swathe of the country occupied by militants.”
He added: “I hope under the auspices of UNOWAS, you will help get the problems sorted out. Most of them have to do with the instability in Libya, and it affects all of us.”
Buhari promised Nigeria’s support to the Special representative to help him succeed in his assignment.
On his part, Mr Annadif said he was visiting shortly after his appointment because he recognized the crucial role of Nigeria in West Africa.
He said he was quite familiar with the problems of the Sahel region and would depend on the help of Nigeria to succeed.
