Coup: Don’t send our troops to Niger – Tinubu warned

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, has expressed concern over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s request to send the Nigerian military to resolve the crisis in the Republic of Niger. On Friday, Tinubu sought approval from the Nigerian Senate for military action and sanctions against the military officers who seized power in Niger.

In response, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, read Tinubu’s letter on the floor of the Upper Chamber. However, Okutepa took to Twitter on Saturday morning to caution against approving the request to send the Nigerian military to Niger in an attempt to restore the democratic government.

“I just hope the National Assembly will not approve the request to send our military to Niger Republic to fight a senseless war of restoring democratic government in that country,” Okutepa tweeted.

He emphasized that Nigerians need their security agencies, including the armed forces, to focus on restoring peace and security within Nigeria itself.

The situation in the Republic of Niger has been tense since a military junta toppled the country’s democratically elected President, Mohamed Bazoum, last month. Efforts by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to broker peace in Niger have so far proven unsuccessful, leading to the severing of diplomatic ties between Niger and Nigeria.

The crisis in the West African region has raised concerns about the stability and security of neighboring countries. As tensions continue to mount, the international community watches closely, hoping for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing turmoil in Niger and its potential implications for the broader region.