What Gen Tchiani said about Coup in Niger

Leader of the military junta in the Republic of Niger, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, said weekend that the coup in which they overthrew President Mohammad Bazoum was well intended and was carried out to avert an imminent threat that would have affected not only the Niger Republic but also Nigeria.

This came as the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, for the second time in a week, appealed to the Federal Government to take head-on, the corruption, insecurity, and skewed appointments in the country, rather than declaring war on Niger Republic.

Recall that prior to ECOWAS leaders’ decision to adopt a military option against the coup leaders in Niger Republic last weekend, the Catholic Bishops had advised the chairman, President Bola Tinubu, and other West African leaders not to give in to military intervention in the country.

This is even as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the February 25, 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi, advised the Federal Government and ECOWAS to prioritize diplomacy, instead of military force to resolve the standoff with the coupists in Niger Republic.