According to the Defence Headquarters, the Armed Forces of Nigeria have yet to receive orders for any military action in the Republic of Niger following the coup that resulted in the ousting of democratic administration in the country.
Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau, Director of Defence Information, issued a statement on Thursday dismissing an online rumour that the Nigerian military was gathering soldiers for military action in the Republic of Niger.
According to him, the AFN has yet to get an order from the right authority to launch military action against the Niger Military Junta.
“It is no longer news that some members of the Republic of Niger Armed Forces seized power from a democratically elected government through unconstitutional means.”
“In response to the illegal takeover of government, the ECOWAS Heads of Government met and discussed a number of options for intervening in the crisis.”
“If all other options failed, the military option was used to reverse the situation and restore constitutional order to the Government of the Republic of Niger.”
“At the moment, the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff is holding an extraordinary meeting in Abuja to discuss the political situation in the Republic of Niger and submit their plans to the ECOWAS Committee of Heads of States and Government for consideration.”
“In conclusion, the Armed Forces of Nigeria cannot conduct any operation in any of the ECOWAS member states without a mandate from the Authority of Heads of State and Government,” he stated. (NAN)
