Ignore Wagner's threat, slam fresh sanctions on Niger Junta, Omokri tells ECOWAS

Former presidential spokesman, Reno Omokri, has urged President Bola Tinubu led ECOWAS to impose fresh sanctions on the General Abdourahamane Tchiani led military government and ignore the junta’s promise to return the country to democratic rule in three years.

Giving this advice in a lengthy tweet on Sunday, Mr Omokri told ECOWAS to impose fresh sanctions on Niger urging for a total shutdown of the nation’s access to the internet and GSM networks.

“The so-called promise by the coup leader, General Tchiani, to hand over to civilians in three years is worthless. It is not even worth the value of the paper from which he read it. The man is just looking for relief from the ECOWAS, and if ECOWAS leaders give in, he will consolidate himself until another strongman removes him. Didn’t Abacha promise that his administration would be “brief”? Power corrupts, and absolute power, such as the type currently being wielded by Tchiani, corrupts absolutely,” Omokri wrote.

“ECOWAS should continue with the squeeze in Niger. Why do they still have GSM and Internet data? They depend on the French-based Eutelsat. Shut it down. Shut them out of the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications,” he added.

Mr Omokri urged ECOWAS to not be “rattled by Wagner forces in Niger. Wagner are merciless mercenaries. They fight for money. Without money, their appetite for Niger will soon dim. And Russia is not in a position to financially support Niger for a sustained period. It has its domestic issues to contend with.”

The former president’s spokesman encouraged ECOWAS to make general Tchiani a scapegoat to discourage coups in other West African nations.