•     FG launches manhunt for coup promoters

·        Traders lose N13bn revenue weekly to border closure – Arewa Economic Forum

·        PDP accuses APC of warmongering

In what seems like dramatic turn of event, the Niger Republic coup leader, General Abdourahmane Tchiani has agreed to dialogue with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after his meeting with Nigerian Islamic Scholars led by the national leader of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS), Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau in Niger Republic.

According to Niger Republic’s Prime Minister, Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, General Tchiani gave the green light for talks with ECOWAS and was optimistic the talks with ECOWAS would take place in the next few days.

‘’We have agreed and the leader of our country has given the green light for dialogue. They will now go back and inform the Nigerian President what they have heard from us…. we hope in the coming days, they (ECOWAS) will come here to meet us to discuss how the sanctions imposed against us will be lifted,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, a report published in Voice of Nigeria (VON) stated how the Nigeria’s Intervention Team, which included notable Islamic scholars from the country, met with the coup leaders in Niger over the weekend, and all parties decided to strengthen the option of dialogue in resolving the country’s political problem.

The Islamic Ulammas led by Sheik Bala Lau was said to have met with General Abdourahmane Tchiani for several hours in Niger’s capital Niamey during which they deliberated on all the issues including the demand by ECOWAS leaders that former President Bazoum be reinstated.

Bala Lau, who is the National Chairman of Jamatul Izalatu Bida Waikamatu Sunnah, said the clerics were in Niger on behalf of President Bola Tinubu who accepted their request to intervene.

Sheik Lau said the team had earlier told President Tinubu who is also the Chairman of Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government that their position is that the political impasse in Niger is resolved through dialogue.

He, therefore, told General Tchiani that the visit to Niger was to engage in constructive dialogue to encourage him and other military leaders behind the coup to toe the path of peace instead of war to resolve the crisis. Responding, General Tchiani who accorded the team warm reception welcomed their intervention. He said their doors were open to explore diplomacy and peace in resolving the matter.

General Tchiani, however, said it was painful to the coup leaders that the ECOWAS leaders did not hear their side of the matter before issuing an ultimatum to them to quit office.

He claimed the coup was well intended, stating that they struck to starve off an imminent threat that would have affected not only Niger Republic but also Nigeria.

He also apologised for not giving the team sent by President Tinubu led by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) the required attention because they were angry about the ECOWAS ultimatum.

·        FG launches manhunt for coup promoters

Meanwhile, the Nigerian military says it is on the lookout for individuals who are bent on instigating a coup in the country through fake reports.

The Nigerian Defense Headquarters (DHQ), which made this known in a statement on Sunday, said the nation’s military never received any request to topple President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government as being insinuated in some quarters.

The statement signed by Director, Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, reads in full:” The Defence Headquarters is concerned about a false and disturbing social media report twisted to state that the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) received a request to effect a change of leadership in the country.

We want to use this opportunity to reiterate that the AFN never received nor made such a declaration at any time to anyone or any group. We believe this statement came from those who do not wish the nation well.

It is surely the wicked imagination of a few who are not happy with the progress and well-being of our dear country.

The AFN is very comfortable with democracy and remains loyal to the President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.

The military is always willing and ready to defend the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

We urge those peddling such falsehood to desist from such or face the law. The Military and indeed other security agencies are on the lookout for these agents of doom. We must all join hands to strengthen our democracy.”

•             Traders lose N13bn revenue weekly to border closure – Arewa Economic Forum

The border closure between Nigeria and Niger is making traders in Nigeria lose an average of N13bn weekly, the Arewa Economic Forum has said.

The Chairman of the Forum, Ibrahim Dandakata, gave the figure on Sunday in Abuja during a chat with journalists.

He said the closure of the border has brought serious hardship on the people in the northern region and by extension Nigerians as many perishable goods that are traded between both countries are getting spoiled by the day.

Recall that Niger’s elected president Mohamed Bazoum was ousted on July 26 by a team of his military guards. Bazoum has been in their custody since then.

The decision of the military to topple a democratically elected President in Niger angered the leaders of countries that made up the Economic Community of West African States under the Chairmanship of President Bola Tinubu.

This led to the closure of the border between Nigeria and Niger by the Federal Government on August 4.

Speaking on the development, Dandakata said if the closure of the border should linger on without resolution, the people in Niger will suffer and Nigerians will be losing huge revenue to trade.

He said, “We estimate that about N13bn financial loss per week is being suffered as a result of border closure. Most of the trade between Nigeria and Niger are personable goods.

·        PDP accuses APC of warmongering

The main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), on Sunday accused President Bola Tinubu and his ruling All Progressives Congress of warmongering.

A press statement from the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, in Abuja,   accused President Tinubu and his party of trying to plunge the nation into a needless war with a brotherly nation in a desperate bid to cling to power.

Ologunagba said the PDP strongly condemns what it called “the desperation by Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC,) “ to plunge Nigeria into a state of war by dragging our military into a needless conflict with Niger Republic.

Ologunagba said, “The PDP observes that the insistence by the APC administration to draft Nigerian soldiers into Niger Republic in defiance to the disapproval by the National Assembly and Nigerians across board, validates apprehensions in the public domain of ulterior motives by the Tinubu-led APC to import crisis and destabilize our nation for political reasons.

“While the PDP frowns at unconstitutional change of government in any part of the world, our party holds that the situation in Niger Republic does not warrant any external peace-keeping effort and does not constitute any threats whatsoever to our national interest to justify committing our already overstretched military to harm’s way in a needless war.

“The insistence of the APC government to go to war in Niger Republic is already heightening tension in Nigeria.

“There are insinuations in the public that the APC is only desperate to deploy Nigerian military to Niger Republic so as to provoke possible external aggression from that country, thereby orchestrating a situation for the declaration of a State of Emergency in Nigeria with the tendency to cripple the judicial process on the 2023 Presidential election and divert attention from the hardship the APC has foisted on the nation in the last two months.

“It is apparent that the APC is desperate to orchestrate a situation of “imminent danger of invasion or involvement in a state of war” so as to have the excuse to declare a State of Emergency under Section 305 (3) (a) and (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).”

He stated further that, “The PDP holds that nothing else can explain why the APC administration is eager to go to war in Niger Republic while it has practically turned a blind eye to the insecurity situation in our country, even with the mindless killing of over 500 innocent Nigerians in Plateau, Benue, Niger, Kaduna and other States of the federation since May 2023.

“Also distressing is that the APC is ready to deploy billions of naira to prosecute a needless war despite our ailing national economy, crippled production sector, energy crisis, massive unemployment, frightening fall in the value of the Naira and excruciating hardship in the country occasioned by its ill-informed, hasty and ill-implemented policies.

“Such can only come from an anti-people administration that has no iota of interest in the security and wellbeing of the nation and its citizens.

“The PDP urges the Military High Command to take note of the disapproval of the National Assembly to the deployment of our troops to Niger Republic and be guided by the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).”