Military leaders in the Niger Republic that sacked President Mohamed Bazoum in the July 26 coup, have announced plan to prosecute the ousted leader and his local and foreign accomplices for “high treason and undermining the internal and external security” of the country.
The leaders also said they had evidence of alleged economic sabotage and related others against Bazoum.
Spokesman for the junta, Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane, announced the decision in a statement read on the country’s national television Sunday.
“The Nigerien government has to date, gathered the necessary evidence to prosecute the deposed president and his local and foreign accomplices before the competent national and international authorities for high treason and undermining internal and external security of Niger,” Abdramane said in a live telecast.
The military leader also said Bazoum and his family were granted access to their doctors in good faith after a meeting with prominent Nigerian Islamic scholars, led by the national leader of Jama’atu Izalatul Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS), Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau in Niamey Saturday.
“After this visit, the doctor raised no problems regarding the state of health of the deposed president and members of his family.
“The Muslim delegation will now go back and inform the Nigerian President what they have heard from us…. we hope in the coming days, ECOWAS will come here to meet us to discuss how the sanctions imposed against us will be lifted,” said spokesman of the junta.
Tinubu reiterates peace
In a related development, Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said he is committed to a peaceful restoration of constitutional democracy in the Niger Republic.
One of the president’s media aides, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, said contrary to the war narrative being speculated by some groups and opposition politicians, those pushing that the Nigerian government should use the military to remove the junta from power were deliberately spreading fake news or ignorant of the processes of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
An opposition politician, Naja’atu Muhammad, in a series of media discussions, accused the Nigerian president of planning to cripple economic activities in Northern Nigeria by waging a war on the Niger Republic.
“With the border closer (following the ECOWAS sanction) Goods worth billions of naira belonging to northern Nigerian businessmen were wasted, Ms Muhammad claimed.
Countering her in a Hausa interview aired by multiple stations across the northern part of Nigeria Sunday, Abdulaziz said the president was mindful of the long-existing bond between Niger and Nigeria in his commitment as ECOWAS chairman to mediating the crisis.
He said: “Using Nigerian military force in Niger is just propaganda and fake news being pushed by some people, but the truth of the matter is that the issue in Niger is being mediated through diplomacy.
“ECOWAS also believes in the diplomatic resolution of the dispute in the Niger, not war. When the incident happened, in less than 24 hours, the president dispatched the first team of delegation to Niger to meet with the military junta but to no avail.
“The president, in his determination to a peaceful resolution, later sent the Chadian President, Mahamat Deby-Itno, to the Niger Republic despite his country not being a member of ECOWAS this was also to no avail.
“The third delegation consists of the respected retired military head of state, Abdulsalami Abubakar and the Sultan of Sokoto, whose caliphate transverse to the Niger Republic; both men were denied access to the military junta but rather were received by junior officers in the negotiation.
“This is the diplomatic effort the president and ECOWAS have employed to ensure the peaceful restoration of democracy in the country.
“This is what has been happening, but other people might have been ignorant of the happening, and propagating about Nigeria going to war with Niger, a president who sees war as an option, won’t make these efforts in this regard, sending three different delegations to address the lingering problem.
“The 14 Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi, also unofficially tried to mediate but was also not successful. A contingent of Nigerian Ulumas was in Niger with the consent of the president for a peaceful resolution.
“We pleaded with the people to contribute with prayers to arrive at a peaceful end, not war and the president is mindful of the business transaction between many states in Nigeria and the people of Niger, and he is hoping to address the problem through diplomacy.
“ECOWAS is only willing to restore the democratically elected government in Niger like what it did in other members countries, not war against the citizens of the country, However, if it warrants for ECOWAS to use force in Niger, it won’t be a war between ECOWAS and Niger people, the forces will only target the coup plotters, not ordinary citizens,” Mr Abdulaziz said. (Premium Times)
