From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Fifty two groups known as the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has implored President Bola Tinubu to abort planned war in Niger Republic, stating that action would affect Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno States.
President Tinubu had written to the National Assembly over the country would deploy troops to Niger to restore normalcy following the coup staged by Commander of the Presidential Guards, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, that overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum.
CNG’s Spokesperson Suleiman, in a statement on Saturday, expressed fear that the crisis would engulf the entire West African subregion and bring about mass killings and suffering of innocent people.
He said: “Based on the above stated highlights of the scene in Niger, the CNG inadvertently arrived at the following inevitable observations:
“That a sinister international power game is at play in Niger with Western Powers, on one hand, Russia and China, on another hand, and some other African countries playing behind the scene.
“That with developments in other Sahel countries that are part of a global power chessgame any military intervention in Niger would be resisted and considered as an invasion by Russia/China, Mali and Burkina Faso, which could get very messy and protracted.
“That a war in Niger will engulf the entire West African subregion and bring about mass killings and suffering of innocent people.
“That about seven northern Nigerian states that share border with Niger Republic namely Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno will be negatively affected.
“That at the moment, the new military junta in Niger Republic enjoys enormous goodwill among the vast majority of the citizens of the country with demonstrations in rural and urban Niger.
“That in Nigeria, the tide of public opinion is overwhelmingly against any form of Nigeria-led military aggression to restore civilian rule in Niger.
“That Nigeria would be expected to expend billions to execute the war when the country is grappling with its harsh economic realities.
“That it could be interpreted as illegal that Nigeria cuts off power exported to Niger, Benin and Togo based on Multilateral Energy Sales Agreement on the basis that they would not dam the waters that feed Nigeria’s major power plants in Kainji, Shiroro and Jebba.
“We join other Nigerians particularly the Northern Senators Forum in rejecting the option of war and call instead for political and diplomatic means to restore democratic government in that country.
“We call the federal government not to rush into war without exhausting every economic and diplomatic means to pressure the junta in Niger to return power to the democratically elected government.”