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We are Not at War with Niger, Nigeriens- ECOWAS
We are Not at War with Niger, Nigeriens- ECOWAS
By: Michael Mike
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has said the plan military action in Niger is not a war on the country or its people but to give them back the good they deserved.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray said that the regional bloc has not taken and would never take any action against the interest of Niger.
He said: “We would like to use the opportunity to reassure the good people of Niger Republic that our major concern is for their welfare as we work assiduously to restore civilian rule and political stability in the country, and indeed in the other ECOWAS Member States currently under military rule, in the spirit of solidarity and collective security which is at the heart of our integration agenda.”
Touray lamented that: “Coup d’etat is a tragedy for our regional efforts at consolidating democracy after the political crises of the 90’s exemplified by the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Through collective efforts of our community, the region was stabilized and the foundation for democracy and the rule of law restored.
“Indeed, until about three years ago, all leaders in the ECOWAS region were democratically elected. Unfortunately, the ill winds of coups started blowing again recently and the region has experienced three successful coups and two failed coups. The current development in the Republic of Niger adds to the list of attempted coups d’état in the region. So, you can understand why the Heads of State and Government have decided that this is one coup too many and resolved that it was time to end the contagion. The situation in the Republic of Niger is particularly unfortunate as it comes at a time the country is doing comparatively well in terms of security and economic growth.”
Justifying the decision on the planned deployment of the standby force, Touray said: “The ECOWAS security architecture, which has informed other security arrangements within and outside the region, is anchored on a number of instruments. These include the 1991 ECOWAS Declaration of Political Principles; the Revised ECOWAS Treaty of 1993, the 1999 ECOWAS Protocol relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security as well as the 2001 Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
“The deployment of the ECOWAS Standby force is provided for in the 1999 Mechanism. Specifically, Article 25 expressly stipulates the conditions for the deployment of such a force. Among other conditions, the article provides that the force can be deployed ‘in the event of… an overthrow or an attempted overthrow of a democratically elected government.’ Furthermore, the Supplementary Act of 2012 also provides for sanctions to be invoked against members that fail to honour their obligations to ECOWAS. It also provides for the use of legitimate force in the restoration of constitutional order. Niger Republic is a signatory to all these instruments. Those who challenge the legality of the decision of ECOWAS Heads of State need to do more research.”
He explained that: “In taking its decision of 30th July and 10th August 2023, the Authority of Heads of State and government was only activating these provisions. Unfortunately, this decision has been taken out of context and repeatedly misrepresented in the media as a declaration of war against Niger Republic or a planned invasion of the country. It is even tragic that some influential persons in the Community have promoted this narrative which has been hyped in the social media as the gospel truth. These persons have conveniently ignored the strenuous efforts of the community to engage with the junta to reverse the attempted coup.”
He added that: “For the avoidance of doubt, let me state unequivocally that ECOWAS has neither declared war on the people of Niger nor is there a plan, as it is being purported, to ‘invade’ the country. The ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government has only activated a full-scale application of sanctions which includes the use of legitimate force to restore constitutional order.”
He said: “In the interim, the region is employing other elements of its instruments and engaging with the military authorities as can be attested to by the several missions that have been fielded to the country and our joint efforts with our partners, including the African Union and the UN. We are hopeful that these diplomatic efforts will yield the desired outcome and make it unnecessary for the deployment of the force.”
Touray while stating that there is no specified date for the use of force to return democratic governance back to Niger, said the military option is still on the table.
He said: “Nonetheless, preparations continue towards making the force ready for deployment. Consequently, the technical arms of the decision-making organs, which include the Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff have also been directed to prepare the community enforcement mechanism in case it becomes compelling to deploy the force.”
He however said: “We believe that even now it is not too late for the military to reconsider its action and listen to the voice of reason as the regional leaders will not condone a coup d’état. ECOWAS also wishes to remind them of their responsibility for the security and safety of President Bazoum, members of his family and government.
“At this juncture let me reiterate that the real issue is the determination of the community to halt the spiral of coups d’etat in the region. We are all brothers irrespective of the artificial borders but the rule of law has to be upheld.
“The uncontitutional action of the military has plunged the people of Niger into serious socio-economic crises. In other words, Nigeriens are suffering today because a section of the military, which should be focused on its constitutional role, decided to hijack the political institutions and subvert democracy.
“The truth is, neither Niger nor the West African sub region needs such a major distraction at this time and we would all like to see the defence and security forces of Niger Republic immediately return to their constitutional role, a role in which they have performed creditably as exemplified in their fight against terrorism and sterling performance in the Multinational Joint Tasks Force in the Lake Chad Basin Area, and in many areas within the Liptako-Gourma region.
“The decision of the Heads of State and Government to activate the clause providing for the application of legitimate force in Niger was reached only after due consideration of how political dialogue alone has unfortunately failed to deter coup plotters in the region. The precedents in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso are unsettling and underline the reason why the Community was obliged to take such a hard but legitimate stance, backed by the ‘ECOWAS Community law which I must stress again was subscribed to by all the Member States, including Niger Republic.
“The actions of the Community have been guided by a recognition of the Community’s obligation within the context of the spirit of solidarity and collective responsibility that underlines the ECOWAS integration arrangement. We recognize Republic of Niger as an important member of the ECOWAS family, and it remains so to date. It is not a target for destruction by ECOWAS, and ECOWAS will never allow the people of Niger to suffer in the hands of enemies within or without.
We are deeply concerned about the wellbeing of the people and the country. Historically, military administrations have not demonstrated any capacity to better deal with complex political, social and security challenges. The security situation in countries under military government have rather deteriorated, as national territories are being lost to terrorists under their administration even though this has become the main justification for their intervention.
“In most cases, the rights and freedom of the citizens are also inevitably curtailed, with arbitrary arrests, detentions, and use of excessive force becoming the order of the day. The social cohesion in these countries is weakening by the day and it will take years to restore. We do not want this in Niger Republic.
He however lamented that “fifth columnists have unfortunately been misrepresenting our decisions and actions, deriding regional authorities as being tele-guided by foreign powers with nefarious intentions. Let me remind everyone that ECOWAS is a community of rules and regulations, norms, and values.
“These principles, which have been accumulated over the 48 years of its existence, and they underpin its actions. It is undeniable that these admirable principles have made the region an exemplar among Regional Economic Communities within and outside Africa, and many look up to it for inspiration. We are therefore not under the dictate of any extra-regional power or interests. Our interest is rather the protection of the rights of our people with the objective of building a rules-based community and fostering peace and prosperity for all in our region.”
He added that: “So, while we are determined to bend over backwards to accommodate diplomatic efforts, we are not unaware of the true intentions of some of the members of the Niger junta. At first, they snubbed our diplomatic efforts but recently began to show signs of being amenable, only for them to take a dangerous path by putting in place a government, and an unacceptable transition timeline.
He said that “the decision of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, which is currently chaired by HE Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is to work for the peaceful restoration of civilian rule in Niger Republic without any delay and to use all the instruments at the disposal of ECOWAS towards the attainment of this goal.
“As for the other countries in transition, namely Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, ECOWAS will continue to support their transition processes, as directed by
the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government. We will continue to support their fight against terrorism to ensure the restoration of democracy, peace, and security in our community. We will also continue to work with them on their agreed transition timetables.”
He said: “Regarding the mercenaries, let me say this, ECOWAS and the African continent as a whole stand against the use of private military contractors and again, we have continental instruments as against the use of private military contractors on the continent.”
We are Not at War with Niger, Nigeriens- ECOWAS
Military airstrikes eliminate scores of ISWAP terrorists in Borno operations
By: Zagazola Makama
Precision air interdiction missions conducted by the Nigerian Air Force component of Operation HADIN KAI have eliminated scores of ISWAP terrorists in separate coordinated strikes at Kangarwa and Ali Jilamari areas of the Northern Tumbuns in Borno State.
Military sources told Zagazola Makama that the operations were executed on April 1, following credible intelligence and confirmatory Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
The source said the first strike was carried out at about 12:05 p.m. on ISWAP enclaves in Kangarwa, a known terrorist stronghold, after ISR conducted on March 27 confirmed mass movement of fighters within the location.
According to him, airborne surveillance identified multiple terrorists operating around and inside structures within the enclave before precision munitions were delivered in successive attack passes.
He said the targeted structures were completely destroyed, with scores terrorists neutralised in the strike, while others scampered for safety in different direction.
In a separate operation at about 4:45 p.m. the same day, the air component conducted another interdiction mission at Ali Jilamari, described as a newly established terrorist hideout in the Northern Tumbuns.
The source said the mission followed credible human intelligence and ISR confirmation, which revealed active terrorist logistics hubs and structures within the area.
He added that the air platforms engaged the targets with precision strikes, destroying identified structures and logistics hubs while eliminating additional terrorists.
The source described the operations as part of sustained air offensives aimed at degrading terrorist capabilities and denying them freedom of movement in the Lake Chad Basin.
Military airstrikes eliminate scores of ISWAP terrorists in Borno operations
VeryBlackDarkMan denies inciting violence in plateau, gives detailed defence of viral comments
By: Zagazola Makama
Popular social media personality, Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryBlackDarkMan, has issued a detailed response to allegations that he incited violence during the recent unrest in Plateau, insisting that his remarks were taken out of context and misrepresented.
The controversy followed a viral video in which Otse, reacting to the March 29 attack in Angwan Rukuba, made statements that critics interpreted as a call to violence.
Otse urged residents not to rely on government intervention, saying: “If you keep quiet and wait for the government… it won’t be the first time, it won’t be the second time… when does this stop? You promise us security, but nobody is secure!”
The content creator also appeared to call for a shift from passive reactions to active confrontation, stating: “No be only Boko Haram sabi kill, no be only bandit sabi kill. All of us fit kill… all of us na Killers, until you ready. No ever to say you no get the mind. You fit kill person. You can kill people. And for these people oh my God.
He added: “Please protect yourselves and don’t wait for the government.”
He further called on the “To the people of Rukuba Enough is Enough, Enough is Enough. Anybody wey you see wey cross your part, KILL AM
However, few hour’s after his emotional outbursts violence quickly began to spread in the Northern part of Plateau. The same night, some youths of Rukuba went on rampage and began targeted killings especially in the Muslim communities.
The remarks triggered widespread backlash, with some commentators accusing him of encouraging reprisals and fuelling religious tension.
However, in a follow-up video, Otse strongly refuted the allegations, maintaining that he never called for violence against any religious group. “Where did I ever say Christians should kill Muslims? When? Show me where I said that,” he said, visibly angered by the accusations.
Providing context to his earlier comments, Otse explained that his reaction was shaped by the traumatic experience of witnessing the aftermath of the killings in Jos.
“I was standing in the middle of dead bodies. Pregnant women, fathers, mothers, children… over 20 people lying there. This is not the first time I have seen something like that. What do you expect me to say in that moment?” he said.
According to him, his statements were an emotional outburst driven by frustration over repeated violence and what he described as inadequate response by authorities.
“The government is not doing anything. People are being killed again and again. So what do you want me to say?” he asked.
Otse clarified that his intention was to urge communities to be vigilant and protect themselves, not to attack others.
“I only said people should protect themselves. I said if you see suspicious movement, defend yourself. That is not the same as telling people to kill others,” he said.
He argued that his words were deliberately twisted to create a false narrative portraying him as promoting religious violence.
“This narrative that VeryDarkMan told Christians to kill Muslims is false. Completely false. People are taking my words out of context and trying to push an agenda,” he said.
The influencer also rejected attempts to frame him as biased against Muslims, noting that he has consistently spoken about violence affecting all Nigerians regardless of religion.
“You can’t say it is only Christians that are dying. Muslims are dying too. People are dying everywhere in this country,” he said.
He cited past incidents in the North-East, including attacks in Borno, to support his argument that insecurity cuts across religious and regional lines.
“Where were these people when bombs exploded in Borno? Monday Market, Post Office junction… people died. Did they speak then?” he queried.
Otse said he had personally visited affected areas, including Borno, to raise awareness and support victims, adding that his advocacy has never been selective.
“I have gone to Borno. I have gone to places where disasters happened, even floods. I have used my platform to raise awareness and help people. This is not about religion for me,” he said.
He further criticised what he described as selective outrage by some social media users and commentators.
“Some people are now acting like they care more about Muslims or Christians, but where were they when others were suffering? Show me what you have done,” he said.
Addressing the broader issue, Otse warned against the growing trend of framing security challenges along religious lines, stressing that such narratives are dangerous.
“Say no to religious war. This is not about Christianity or Islam. This is about Nigerians being killed,” he said.
He emphasised that he does not align himself with any religious divide, insisting that his position has always been neutral.
“I am not speaking for Christians or Muslims. I am speaking for people. I don’t care about religion when it comes to human lives,” he added.
Otse also highlighted what he described as a lack of awareness about the scale of violence in northern Nigeria, attributing it partly to limited social media visibility.
“A lot of people don’t even know what is happening in the North. They don’t see it, so they think it is one-sided. But the reality is different,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to avoid generalisations and stereotyping, warning that such tendencies contribute to division and misunderstanding.
The influencer reiterated his call for unity and collective action against insecurity, rather than blame and division.
“We need peace in Jos. We need peace everywhere. People should stop pushing narratives that will divide us further,” he said.
The incident illustrated the powerful role of social media in shaping public discourse during crises, as well as the risks associated with emotionally charged messaging.
While Otse’s initial comments reflected widespread frustration, the backlash point to the need for caution and clarity in public communication, especially in fragile security environments.
VeryBlackDarkMan denies inciting violence in plateau, gives detailed defence of viral comments
Troops neutralise eight terrorists in failed ambush operation in Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of 21 Special Armoured Brigade (21 SAB), in collaboration with Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and hybrid forces, have neutralised eight suspected terrorists during an ambush operation in Bama Local Government Area of Borno.
A military source told Zagazola Makama that the operation was carried out at about 2:06 a.m. on April 1 around the Gadangari axis, behind Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS), Bama.
The source said the troops conducted a planned ambush targeting suspected Boko Haram terrorists and their logistics collaborators operating around the area.
“While lying in wait, the troops intercepted terrorists’ collaborators and logistics suppliers moving towards Yale axis,” the source said.
He added that the troops engaged the targets in a brief exchange of fire, resulting in the neutralisation of eight terrorists, while others escaped with possible gunshot wounds.
The source further noted that follow-up operations were ongoing to track fleeing elements and dismantle their logistics networks in the area.
He assured that the situation remained under control, with troops maintaining aggressive posture in the general area.
Troops neutralise eight terrorists in failed ambush operation in Borno
Military airstrikes eliminate scores of ISWAP terrorists in Borno operations
Troops neutralise two suspected terrorists in ambush along Aulari–Kawuri axis in Borno
VeryBlackDarkMan denies inciting violence in plateau, gives detailed defence of viral comments
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