On Tuesday, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) enforced additional sanctions in response to the coup that transpired in Niger Republic.
Daily News 24 that ECOWAS had granted a seven-day window to the coup leaders in Niger, demanding the reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum.
Failure to comply would result in sanctions, with the possibility of military intervention.Despite ECOWAS’ stance, the coup leaders remained unfazed by the ultimatum, asserting their determination to resist any foreign interference within their borders.In response, they cut diplomatic ties with Nigeria, Togo, France, and the United States.
Furthermore, they announced the indefinite closure of Nigerien airspace.
Subsequent to the expiration of the ultimatum, ECOWAS scheduled a meeting for Thursday to assess the ongoing situation in the West African nation.
Addressing State House correspondents on Tuesday, Ajuri Ngeale, the presidential spokesperson, announced the imposition of additional sanctions on individuals and entities connected to the military junta in Niger Republic.
While specifics were not provided, he indicated that these actions were facilitated through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
He said “I can also report that following the expiration of the deadline of the ultimatum and standing on the preexisting consensus position of financial sanctions meted out on the military junta in Niger Republic by the bloc of ECOWAS Heads of State, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered an additional slew of financial sanctions through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on entities and individuals related to or involved with the military junta in Niger Republic.
“The ECOWAS mandate, and ultimatum is not a Nigerian ultimatum. It is not a Nigerian mandate and the office of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also serving as the chairman of ECOWAS seeks to emphasize this point.
“That due to certain domestic and international media coverage, tending toward a personalization of the ECOWAS sub regional position to his Person and to our nation individually.
“It is because of this that Mr. president has deemed it necessary to state unequivocally that the mandate and ultimatum by issued ECOWAS is that of ECOWAS’s position.
“While His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assumed the ECOWAS chairmanship, the position of ECOWAS conveys the consensus position of member heads of state. And a coup will not occur in one’s backyard, without one be particularly aware of it.
“The president in recent days, particularly following the expiration of the ultimatum given by ECOWAS has widened consultations internationally but most especially domestically, including interfaces with state governors in Nigeria, who govern states bordering Niger Republic on the various fallouts and outcomes of the unfortunate situation that has unfolded in Niger Republic.
“But President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, wishes to emphasize to this distinguished audience that the response of ECOWAS to the military coup in Niger has been and will remain devoid of ethnic and religious sentiments and considerations.
“The regional bloc is made up of all sub regional ethnic groups, religious groups, and all other forms of human diversity. And the response of ECOWAS, therefore, represents all of these groups, and not any of these groups individually.”
