Nigerian leader moves to curtail citizens' illegal migration

ABUJA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday said all necessary steps would be taken by his government to stem the tide of illegal migration by Nigerians.

Buhari, in a statement, vowed to reduce, especially, the number of Nigerians heading for Europe illegally through the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea.

He said the government would do more by providing basic social amenities such as education, healthcare, and food security at home to make those attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean Sea change their minds.

On the recent deaths of 26 Nigerians who reportedly died while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea, he said it was very difficult to know the origin of the people who died because of lack of documentation.

"Anybody who died in the desert and Mediterranean without documents; to prove that he is a Nigerian, there is absolutely nothing we can do," he said. "We are not doing too badly in trying to secure the country, improve the economy and deal with corruption." Enditem