CSO urges ECOWAS, Int’l community to impose travel ban, asset seizure on Niger coup plotters

<p>The Citizens Action for Good Governance (CAGG) has urged leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and international community to sanction leaders of the military coup in Niger Republic.</p>, <p>While vehemently condemning in strong terms the coup carried out by the military in Niger Republic, the organisation said coup is out of fashion and remains the wrong approach for the military officers involved to express their perceived grievances.</p>, <p>Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Saturday, National Coordinator of CAGG, Mallam Nazir Galadanchi, applauded the steps taken so far by the Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.</p>, <p>He said the prompt deployment of troops to secure the Nigeria-Niger Republic border to forestall any spill over the coup into Nigeria was strategic.</p>, <p>There have been at least seven successful coups leading to unconstitutional transfer of power in five sub-Saharan African countries in the past two years.</p>, <p>The development is leading to fears of a resurgence of coups on the continent. Some of the countries include Chad, Mali (twice), Guinea, Burkina Faso, Sudan, and now Niger.</p>, <p>The military in Niger sacked the civilian government of President Mohammed Bazoum who was elected in 2021 in the first civilian handover of power.</p>, <p>Bazoum’s presidential guard had held him hostage in the palace on Wednesday, on account of “bad governance and worsening security”.</p>, <p>On Friday, the head of the presidential guards unit Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani declared himself Niger’s new leader.</p>, <p>Galandachi while describing the coup as highly barbaric and uncivilized, said the action of the military officers who spearheaded “this undemocratic measure based on their selfish ambitions is unpopular and against the wish of the people.”</p>, <p>He said: “This coup d’etat is an affront to the existing democracy in the country because President Mohamed Bazoum who has been held by troops from the pres