Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari called on African Union member states to find sustainable solutions to the crisis in Libya.
Buhari’s demand came in his speech during his participation in the work of the 3rd African Conference for the Promotion of Peace. This was held in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, between 17-18 January.
The Nigerian President expressed his hope that the current Chairman of the African Union, Macky Sall would refocus attention during the upcoming summit on finding sustainable solutions to the Libyan crisis.
Notably, Nigeria’s Immigration Service (NIS) announced that it had rescued six human trafficking victims, en route to Libya, according to Nigeria’s Gazette newspaper.
Nigerian security official, Ahmed Bagari told reporters on Monday that the operation was conducted on Sunday.
He explained that the victims were five females, and one male aged between 20-35 years, were intercepted while on their way to Libya via Niger.
The official said that none of the victims had any travel documents, and no incriminating items were found on them during interrogation.
The victims have been handed over to the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further action.
He urged the public to exercise their civic responsibilities by reporting cases of human trafficking and other related criminal acts to the nearest security agencies.
Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.
The current stalemate grew out of the failure to hold elections in December, and the refusal of Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba, who is leading the transitional government, to step down. In response, the country’s eastern-based Parliament appointed a rival Prime Minister, Fathi Bashagha, who has for months sought to install his government in Tripoli.