While the Russia-Ukraine Conflict rages, President Muhammadu Buhari has bemoaned its impact in the Sahel region of West Africa, insisting that it is compounding the Boko Haram crisis, especially in the Lake Chad Basin region.
The President used his opening address 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 to lament the situation.
According to President Buhari, who doubled as chairman of the summit, illicit weapons and fighters are already infiltrating the region from Russia and Ukraine, a trend that has been noticed to have led to the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
Buhari raised the alarm that the situation calls for a reawakening of the border security of the impacted countries of the region.
The President also noted that though a lot had been done to decimate the strength of the Boko Haram terror group and other violent extremist groups in the region, terrorist threats still persist.
He stated: “Let me gladly inform my dear brothers that in keeping with that decision, the MNJTF has since then, successfully conducted three major operations: Ops‘YANCIN TAFKI (I&II) and Ops Lake Sanity I, with, the fourth one, Ops Lake Sanity II, being planned. The next phase of the operation will take into consideration lessons learnt from previous exercises and effectively consolidating the gains attained by preceding Ops.”