Tinubu notifies Senate of plans to deploy troops to Niger Republic
Tinubu notifies Senate of plans to deploy troops to Niger Republic
Story from Vincent CHIKAMSO
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday notified the National Assembly about ECOWAS proposed military actions and other sanctions against the military junta in Niger Republic.
Tinubu stated this in an official communication addressed to the Senate and read at plenary by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.
Part of the letter reads, “Following the unfortunate political situation in Niger Republic culminating in the overthrow of its President, ECOWAS under my leadership condemned the coup in its entirety and resolved to seek the return of the democratically elected govt. In a bid to restore peace, ECOWAS convened a meeting and came out with a communique.
“Closure and monitoring of all land borders with Niger Republic and reactivating of the border drilling exercise.
“Cutting off electricity supply to Niger Republic. Mobilizing international support for the implementation of the provisions of the ECOWAS communique.
“Preventing the operation of commercial and special flights into and from Niger Republic.
“Blockade of goods in transit to Niger especially from Lagos and eastern seaports
“Embarking on sensitisation Nigerians on the imperative of these actions, particularly via social media.
“Military build-up and deployment of personnel for military intervention to enforce compliance of the military junta in Niger should they remain recalcitrant.”
Recently, President Tinubu cut off the electricity supply to Niger Republic as part of an emergency meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that imposed sanctions on the West African country, in response to the coup by the military led by General Abdourahmane Tchiani.
READ ALSO: Nigeria cuts Niger Republic’s electricity supply amidst other coup sanctions
The cities of Niamey, Maradi, and Zinder are experiencing a pattern of fluctuating electricity, with power being available for approximately an hour before being interrupted for about five hours.
Power disruption in Niger Republic is unusual, as the country typically enjoys a more reliable supply of electricity, primarily sourced from Nigeria.