Nigerians In Niger Beg FG For Evacuation Over Impending Attack

Some Nigerians resident in Niger Republic have appealed to the Federal Government to facilitate their evacuation and return home before any possible offensive against the coup plotters by the Economic Community of West Africa States’ forces to restore constitutional governance.

The Nigerians, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH, said the appeal became necessary so as to avoid being caught up in the line of fire and to avoid a repeat of what happened in Sudan where many Nigerian students were trapped when fighting broke out between the government forces and rebels.

They are also apprehensive of being subjected to xenophobic attacks by Nigeriens in retaliation of Nigeria’s role in rallying other ECOWAS member states to reject the unconstitutional change of government in which the coup plotters overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum.

ECOWAS had on Thursday resolved to deploy troops in Niger following the refusal of the military leaders to restore democracy despite the sanctions imposed on them and their collaborators by the sub-regional body.

After a meeting of the ECOWAS Heads of States and Government in Abuja, the President of ECOWAS, Omar Touray, said the bloc had directed the deployment of a “standby force” to restore democracy in Niger after the coup.

But Touray gave no details about the make-up, location and proposed date for the deployment of the military intervention force.