President Bola Tinubu has sent a letter to the Nigerian Senate, informing them of a proposed military action and other sanctions against the military officers who recently took over power in Niger Republic. This move comes in response to the action taken by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which President Tinubu leads.
Since the soldiers seized power in Niger on July 26, the leaders of ECOWAS, including President Tinubu, have been discussing possible sanctions against the coup plotters. However, the junta has shown no willingness to back down, even after a delegation led by Tinubu attempted to ease tensions.
During a session in the Upper Chamber, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, read out the content of Tinubu’s letter.
The letter stated: “Political situation in Niger. Following the unfortunate political situation in the Niger Republic, which led to the overthrow of its President, ECOWAS, under my leadership, condemned the coup entirely and resolved to seek the restoration of the democratically elected government.
“To restore peace, ECOWAS held a meeting and came up with the following actions:
- Closure and monitoring of all land borders with Niger Republic and reactivating border drills.
- Cutting off electricity supply to Niger Republic and seeking international support for implementing the ECOWAS communique.
- Preventing commercial and special flights to and from Niger Republic and blocking goods in transit, especially from Lagos and eastern seaports.
- Spreading awareness about the importance of these actions, particularly through social media.
- Preparing and deploying military personnel for intervention to ensure compliance of the military junta in Niger if they persist with their actions.”
This move is part of ECOWAS’s efforts to reinstate democracy and stability in Niger Republic after the coup. The Nigerian Senate will now deliberate on Tinubu’s request for approval before any military action is taken.
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