Minister demands freedom for Niger’s ousted leader

Nigeria on Friday renewed calls for the release of Niger’s deposed president Mohamed Bazoum held in the West African country with his wife since his ouster in a military coup in 2023.

Bazoum was overthrown on July 26, 2023, after just two years in office by the head of his presidential guard, General Abdourahamane Tiani, over allegations of failing to protect the nation from jihadist attacks.

Since then, he and his wife, Hadiza, have been held at the presidential palace in Niamey in strict detention.

“We want him out. We felt that he didn’t do any offence,” Nigerian Information Minister Mohammed Idris told TV network France 24.
“He was a product of democracy. And if you want to remove him, you remove democratically,” he said.

Idris, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of regional bloc the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said “we will continue to press that he gets freedom”.

“Certainly no member of ECOWAS is happy to have seen Bazoum being thrown out by military chaps.”

The UN in February called the couple’s detention “arbitrary” and called for their immediate release.

Lawyers representing Bazoum said earlier this year that the couple had no contact with the outside world, including family, friends and lawyers, after the confiscation of his phone in October 2023.

Last week, Niger’s junta said it had freed around 50 people, including former ministers from the government it toppled.

It said the decision to release the group was in line with recommendations of a “national conference” in February.

Since coming to power, Niger’s military rulers have severed relations with France and expelled French and American soldiers engaged in the battle against jihadists.

Niger also left ECOWAS, as it moved closer to its two neighbours, Burkina Faso and Mali, both governed by military leaders and facing the same deadly jihadist attacks.

Together they have formed a group known as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and strengthened ties with Russia.

AFP