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Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal, in as, ECOWAS readies troops for Niger operation
Ivory Coast, Republic of Benin, Senegal and Nigeria, are key members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said to have committed troops to the regional bloc’s planned military intervention in the Republic of Niger in its push to restore constitutional authority in the French-speaking West African country.
This is coming ahead of the planned gathering of the ECOWAS army chiefs in Ghana on Sunday in preparation for a possible military intervention in Niger in the country, where a military junta took control of power on July 26, 2023.
While Benin, Senegal and Nigeria have committed to the intervention in principles without providing details of its deployment, the President of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, revealed that his country would commit a battalion of 850 to 1,100 men to ECOWAS’ move to restore democratic rule to Niger following lack of success in its diplomatic efforts.
The Nigerian military did not respond to our request for comment on the actual number the country is contributing to the ECOWAS standby force. The country has, however, played leading roles in previous interventions in Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.
Recall that the West African regional bloc after its emergency meeting in Abuja on Thursday ordered its Committee of the Chiefs of Defence Staff to immediately activate its standby force with all its elements.
While the decision of ECOWAS to activate its standby force has been trailed by criticism both in Nigeria and Niger, Army chiefs from member-states like Benin and Senegal corroborated Ouattara’s revelation of commitment from the member-states to the military intervention.
Ouattara had said after the Abuja meeting that aside his country’s deployment, soldiers from Nigeria and Benin would also be deployed.
He said ECOWAS had intervened in African countries in order to restore constitutional order before.
Benin’s army spokesman was quoted to have said on Friday that they would contribute troops without revealing the number while Senegal had earlier revealed it would contribute troops if there were an intervention.
On their parts, Gambia’s defence minister, Sering Modou Njie and Liberia’s minister of information, Ledgerhood Rennie, said that they had not yet taken a decision to send troops.
Military governments in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, both ECOWAS members, have said they would defend the junta in Niger.
On Friday, Burkina Faso’s junta-led government suspended one of the country’s most popular radio stations after it broadcast an interview deemed “insulting” to Niger’s new military leaders.
Radio Omega was immediately suspended on Thursday “until further notice,” Communications Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo informed in a statement.
Meanwhile, the African Union has expressed strong support for ECOWAS’s decisions on Niger.
“The president of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat expresses his strong support for ECOWAS decisions on anti-constitutional change in Niger,” AU noted in a press statement.
The statement noted that Mahamat condemned the detention of President Mohamed Bazoum and his family, describing it as “illegal kidnapping” and “unacceptable.”
“The president of the commission challenges the military authorities on the urgency of stopping the escalation with the regional organisation, mistrust of it and the continuation of the kidnapping of the president in worryingly deteriorating conditions,” the statement noted.
He called for the immediate release of Mr Bazoum and all members of his family and government.
The union also called on the international community to rally to save the moral and physical integrity of Bazoum and end what it called the “worryingly poor conditions” of his detention.
Similarly, the European Union and the United States have joined the AU in expressing “increasing worry” about Bazoum’s detention conditions.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appealed the judgement of the federal high court in Abuja nullifying the timelines issued for the conduct of party primaries and the nomination of candidates.
Alex Izinyon SAN, leading a team of lawyers of the commission in a notice of appeal dated May 25, raised nine grounds it urged the appellate court to consider and vacate the judgment the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered on May 20.
Apart from raising the issue of jurisdiction, which it said the lower court did not determine, INEC also maintained that the legal action the Youth Party (YP) initiated against it was not only hypothetical but academic.
Arguing that failure of the trial court to make pronouncements on the issues, resulted in the denial of fair hearing to the Appellant, the commission also stressed the lower court misinterpreted the provisions of the electoral act.
It said: “The high court erred in law when it held that: ‘It is clear from the wordings of Sections 29(1), 82 and 84 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the following can be understood. Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026 mandates Political Parties to submit the names of candidates in prescribed forms of the candidates who emerged from its valid primaries which such a political party intends to sponsor at the elections, not later than 120 days before the date of the General Election.
“What is required of Political Parties to do under the Electoral Act, 2026 is to notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 21 days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, or any conference or meeting convened for the election of its executive committees, other governing bodies for nominating candidates.
“The Defendant is not mandated to impose a timeframe for political parties to conduct their primaries provided that it will be done and submitted not later than the 120 days provided by the Electoral Act, 2026. See Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.”
It was another day of misery in Kwara State, when daredevil terrorists reportedly stormed Yashikira Community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, and as has been the case in many of the attacks, abducting scores of residents including women and children.
But, apparently to register their authority, the gunmen, who were said to have operated for hours without challenge from the security operatives, were said to have torched the palace of the Emir.
The attackers, which reportedly occurred late Sunday night were said to have announced their presence through heavy firing and after storming the palace of the monarch during the period, set it on fire before whisking away their victims, but a similar attempt at the police station in the community, was repelled.
While some of the residents, narrated how the spent hours without resistance, leaving behind destruction and fear in the border community, another account said the villagers were caught unawares as the gunmen invaded the town under the cover of darkness.
However operatives made up of the police and military personnel, were said to have launched a manhunt immediately for the immediate rescue of the victims, including throwing a cordon in the area as part of the mission.
“The suspect offered ₦500 million to the SPU commander in an attempt to make the team stand down and allow him to contact his associates to move the consignment elsewhere. The offer was rejected immediately and properly documented for further investigation.”
These were the exact words of Olohundare Jimoh Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), with which he detailed how operatives of the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) scoffed at a N500million bribe to turn their eyes off the importation of a huge consignment of drugs imported into the country.
This was part of the details of a major breakthrough by the operatives after bursting a major drug trafficking syndicate in Lagos, which led to the seizure of suspected illicit drugs estimated at ₦7.8 billion and arresting several suspects, including the alleged kingpin.
In the operation, reportedly carried out by officers of the Special Protection Unit (SPU) in collaboration with divisional police detectives, the operatives, were said to have stormed a house in Mende, Maryland area of Lagos, following months of surveillance and intelligence gathering coordinated by the Zone 2 Headquarters.
The recovered drugs consisted of hundreds of bags of suspected Canadian Loud, allegedly stored in the residence of the prime suspect, Jimoh, said disclosing that the suspect was apprehended on May 19 after weeks of strategic monitoring by operatives.
Offering further details, he said the operation was executed with technical support and guidance from the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, alongside coordinated efforts between the SPU and divisional police teams.
Jimoh revealed that during the operation, the suspect allegedly attempted to bribe the SPU commander with ₦500 million to compromise the mission and allow the movement of the drug consignment.
The AIG described the development as a reflection of the renewed professionalism and operational discipline being entrenched in the Force under the current policing strategy.
He noted that the success of the operation underscored the importance of deploying specialized police units alongside conventional divisional teams in tackling organized crime.
According to him, the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of rapid containment strategies, intelligence-led policing, and professional conduct among the operatives involved in the raid.
“Rapid containment was achieved as the Special Protection Unit worked with divisional teams to secure the perimeter and prevent escape or interference with evidence.
“The operation was intelligence-driven, following months of surveillance and technical monitoring before the raid was carried out.
“The immediate rejection and documentation of the bribe attempt also reflect the standard expected from redeployed personnel at the divisional level,” Jimoh added.
Reacting to the development, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, commended the operatives for their professionalism, saying the success of the operation validated the ongoing redeployment of personnel to divisions and units across Lagos and Ogun states.
The IGP noted: “Policing must be close to the people, and our specialized units must work side by side with divisional teams on the ground.
“The professionalism shown by the SPU commander in rejecting a ₦500 million bribe and following due procedure is the standard we expect. It shows that when you put your best foot forward at the grassroots, you get results and restore public trust.”
Disu further assured that the Force leadership would continue to reward integrity while holding officers accountable to the highest ethical standards.
Police authorities said exhibits recovered during the operation have been properly documented and will be tendered in court. The suspects are currently in custody while investigations continue to track down other members of the drug trafficking network.
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