Former Vice President , Atiku Abubakar , has said that creating better opportunities will help check the rise in illegal migration of Nigerians.

He stated this in Abuja while marking the United Nations International Migrants Day on December 18, 2017.

“The chances of a young person with a job and opportunity at home taking a suicidal flight in search of a better life will become an exception and not the rule,” Atiku said.

Using the recent case of slave trading in Libya as an example, where over 400 Nigerians were subjected to inhumane treatments, Atiku in a statement from his media office, called on African leaders to create an environment conducive for economic progress and employment generation.

He, therefore, stated that to prevent a recurrence of such, the Federal and state governments ought to discourage potential migrants through public enlightenment about the implications of illegal overseas travels.

In achieving this, the PDP chief also urged the international community to ensure that the international code of treatment of migrants is strictly adhered to.