In order to aid their escape and return home prior to any potential offensive against the coup plotters by the Economic Community of West Africa States’ military to restore constitutional administration, some Nigerians living in the Niger Republic have requested assistance from the federal government.
Speaking to Saturday PUNCH, Nigerians said the appeal was important to prevent being in the line of fire and to prevent a recurrence of what happened in Sudan, where numerous Nigerian students were trapped when violence broke out between the government forces and rebels.
They fear being the target of xenophobic attacks by Nigerien citizens in revenge for Nigeria’ s participation in mobilizing other ECOWAS member states to oppose the illegitimate change of government, which saw President Mohamed Bazoum overthrown by coup plotters.
Following the military leaders’ reluctance to reinstate democracy despite the sanctions the sub- regional body had put on them and their allies, ECOWAS decided to send soldiers to Niger on Thursday.
Omar Touray, the president of ECOWAS, stated that the group has ordered the deployment of a ” standby force” to restore democracy in Niger following the coup at a meeting of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in Abu
Touray, however, made no mention of the composition, location, or anticipated time of the deployment of the military intervention force.
Because of the delicate nature of the situation, the Western military officer was described by the Associated Press as saying that during US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland’ s visit to the nation on Monday, representatives of the junta informed her of the danger to Bazoum.
According to the AP, a US official who spoke to the media under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to do so verified the account.
At his home, Bazoum, who was removed from power on July 26, is being kept hostage.
Fear about a potential crackdown by their hosts has gripped Nigerians in the francophone country as a result of the standoff between ECOWAS and the coup plotters in Nigerien.
According to PUNCH, some Nigerian expatriates in Niger claimed that Nigeriens who supported the Junta, had begun criticising them for President Bola Tinubu’ s backing of the ECOWAS mandate that its soldiers be prepared to invade the nation, crush the coup plotters, and restore Bazoum to power.
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