The Nigerian government on Friday said the use of force as proposed by ECOWAS should coup plotters in Niger refuse to back down, is the last resort as mediation is ongoing.
Briefing members of the diplomatic corps in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Adamu Lamuwa, said the “use of force is the last resort and we hope we do not get there.”
ECOWAS last Sunday at an emergency meeting convened by its chair, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, said it would deploy every available tool to restore democracy including the use of force.
Since then, there have been several concerns about what a military intervention in Niger will mean for the subregion.
The subregions bloc also asked Chiefs of Defense Staff to meet immediately. The meeting commenced on Wednesday and is expected to end today (Friday).
Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy and West Africa’s largest military, will be expected to provide the bulwark of soldiers should ECOWAS…
