Niger Coup: ‘What the coup plotters told me,” – Sanusi

Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, 14th Emir of Kano, yesterday met with the Niger Republic coup leaders in Niamey, the country’s capital.

Sanusi’s meeting with the coup leaders came as Niger’s former rebel leader launched an anti-coup movement in the first sign of internal resistance in the country.

Sanusi, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, met the military leadership after the junta aborted a meeting with representatives of the African Union, AU, ECOWAS, and a top US diplomat.

But yesterday, footage of Sanusi, whose Tijjaniya sect has a large following in Niger, went into circulation.

Sanusi met the junta leaders in the company of the Sultan of Damagaran. Damagaran is the third largest city in Niger.

It was gathered Sanusi went there to open doors for negotiation with the junta.

One of the sources said: “His Highness took the trip in his personal capacity but with the knowledge of President Bola Tinubu, following his concerns about the impasse and the likely consequences it is already having on Nigeria/Niger relations and the citizens of the two countries.”

Sanusi said he was in the Nigerien capital, Niamey, to hold mediation talks with the military leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani.

“We have spoken to the head of state, the new strongman, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, and will deliver a ‘message’ to Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu,’’ said Sanusi, adding that he is not an emissary of the government.

His message comes on the eve of a key summit by ECOWAS on resolving the latest crisis in the Sahel, which will be chaired by Tinubu.

Sanusi is known to be a close friend of Tinubu, who is a former governor of his home state of Lagos.
“We came hoping that our arrival will pave the way for real discussions between the leaders of Niger and those of Nigeria,” Sanusi said.