We must confront internal migration frictions, says Buhari

4,700 migrants died in Mediterranean Sea
Nigeria must confront internal migration frictions being experienced in different parts of the federation.

President Muhammadu Buhari stated this at the second annual national migration dialogue in Abuja yesterday to mark the International Migrants Day.

Represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, he noted that the Nigerian constitution guaranteed all citizens the right to reside anywhere in the country without discrimination.

He, however, observed that the country was still grappling with national identity issues, which engender discrimination and that the people must resist the attempt of those who wanted to play the ethnic or religious card, usually to promote their own selfish and personal courses.

Besides the menace of Boko Haram, the concept of host and settler communities had compounded the migration problem in the country, leading to clashes.

The President noted that while migration was a natural phenomenon, which had attracted much global attention, a considerable amount of it was forced.

Buhari said it was difficult to grapple with forced migration because most of them in recent years were of people coming from developing countries in a flight to safety to more stable nations.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Mission, International Organization for Migration (IOM), in Nigeria, Ms. Emira Krdzalic said in 2016 alone, an estimated 4,700 migrants from West Africa to Europe either died or got missing in the Mediterranean Sea.