By Kamil Opeyemi
The Economic Community of West Africa on Sunday expressed its resolve to deploy troops to the troubled Niger Republic to restore ousted President Mohammed Bazoum.
Rising from it’s emergence meeting in Abuja leaders of the ECOWAS group said military take over in Niger remains unacceptable.
Member states said all their Chief of defence should be on alert for
Possible military action the coupist in the country.
According to the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, who read the communiqué, the body “call for the immediate release and reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum as President and Head of State of the Republic of Niger and for the full restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.
“Reject any form of resignation that may purportedly come from His Excellency, President Mohamed Bazoum; considered the illegal detention of President Bazoum as a hostage situation and hold the authors of the attempted coup that are solely and fully responsible for the safety and security of His Excellency President Mohammed Bazoum, as well as members of his family and government.
In the event the Authority’s demands are not met within one week, take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Nigeria.
“Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS Member States and Asia. Freeze all service transactions including energy transactions. Freeze assets of the Republic of Niger in Aqua Central Bank. Freeze of assets of the Niger State and the state enterprises and parastatals in commercial banks.
“Suspension of measure from all financial assistance and transactions with all financial institutions, particularly EBID”, he said.
NPO Reports that soldiers had taken over in Niger on Tuesday detaining the President in an house arrest.
There are suspicions that the coup leaders are not acting independently.