War with Niger will spread into Northern Nigerian communities – Arewa Group warns

The Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners Forum, ABMPF, has said it noticed with great concern, the echoes of the drumbeats of war being sounded by the West African Regional bloc, ECOWAS, spearheaded by the Nigerian President, Bola Ahmad Tinubu, to meddle into the internal affairs of Republic of Niger.

“This, according to ECOWAS, is to oust the military junta that had staged a coup d’etat, which ousted the civilian administration of President Mohamed Bazoum.

The move by Nigeria and other ECOWAS nations for Military intervention in Niger Republic, is hasty, ill-conceived and a miscalculated adventure that will eventually plunge the region and indeed the entire Northern Nigeria, already bedeviled with terrorists activities, into turmoil and anarchy,” the group stated

The group in a statement titled ‘Don’t Go To War With Niger Republic’ signed by

Alhaji Abdullahi Yelwa Ajiyan Yauri, the

Chairman, stated that "it is our conviction that the task of defending and sustaining democracy in Niger is the solemn duty of the people of Niger. The responsibility of it’s neighbours and friends like Nigeria, is not to exacerbate an already bad situation, but to support the Democratic institutions of the country and pray for her in it’s time of needs.”

“Again, it is worth emphasising that any military action in Niger will not only begin and end in Niamey, the Nigerean capital, but will spill over and snowball into Northern Nigerian communities in Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe, and Borno states.”

“Its humanitarian consequences, however, would be felt across the nation and the West African subregion.

The coup in Niger which began as a palace coup, has now become a national rallying point for antineocolonial struggle, not only in Niger but in the rest of the Francophone West Africa. Even the nations of ECOWAS have come to terms with the reality of the coup as a fait-accompli that can’t be easily reversed.”