A former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to respond strongly to threats by the head of Niger’s military junta, General Abdourahmane Tchiani to kill President Mohamed Bazoum if the regional bloc intervenes militarily to restore constitutional order in Niger.
Omokri said this in a Facebook post on Thursday, hours after ECOWAS held its 2nd Extraordinary Summit on the socio-political situation in the Republic of Niger in Abuja, Nigeria.
At the summit, the regional bloc directed the deployment of its standby force to restore constitutional order in the Niger Republic.
According to the Associated Press, representatives of the junta in Niger told U.S. Under Secretary of State Victoria Nulan that they would kill deposed President Bazoum if neighbouring countries attempted any military intervention to restore his rule.
Reacting, Omokri said, “On the threat by General Tchiani to kill President Mohamed Bazoum if ECOWAS intervenes militarily to restore constitutional order in Niger, I urge President Tinubu and ECOWAS to respond strongly with a warning that if General Tchiani carries out his threat, he will be treated as a common criminal when ECOWAS restores order.
“He and any soldiers found culpable in such an act will be tried by the ECOWAS court, and if guilty, they will be hung in the neck until dead, in keeping with international law, of which the ECOWAS is a subscriber.
“This threat calls for decisiveness, not niceness!”