Coup attempt: ECOWAS deploys Benin president to Niger Republic

Beninese President Patrice Talon has been sent to the Niger Republic by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) over the unfolding tension in the country.

The Informant247 had earlier that a heavy military presence was at the presidential palace in Niamey, Niger’s capital city, where President Mohamed Bazoum was said to be held hostage by soldiers and was denied access to his office and residence — likely signs of a possible coup d’état.

Frowning at the development, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is also the ECOWAS chairperson, said the body won’t tolerate acts that undermine democracy in the region, adding that the situation was being closely monitored, while noting that ECOWAS was doing everything “within our powers to ensure democracy is firmly planted, nurtured, well rooted and thrives in our region”.

The Beninese president was reported to have met with Tinubu a few hours ago at the state house in Abuja, where he briefed the Nigerian president on the security situation in the West African region, including efforts to restore democratic governance in Mail, Guinea Bissau and Burkina Faso, which had fallen to coup d’etat in the last two years.

The situation in Niger was also reported to have been discussed.