By Emmanuel Nduka
The Nigerian ambassador to Niger Republic, Mohammed Usman, has stated that he has not been expelled from the country by the military junta as widely reported across the Nigerian media space.
Heritage Times HT reports that there was a viral rumour all through the weekend that the junta gave Usman 48 hours to leave the country for failing to attend a meeting without explanation.
But in a telephone interview with TheCable on Saturday, Usman said the report is false. “I was not given any ultimatum to leave the country. The report is false,” he allegedly said.
It would be recalled that the junta had on Friday, ordered Sylvain Itte, the French ambassador, to leave the country within 48 hours.
According to the country’s foreign ministry, the decision to expel the ambassador stemmed from his refusal to honour an invitation with Niger’s minister of foreign affairs. The statement also added that “other actions by the French government contrary to the interests of Niger” led to the ambassador’s withdrawal.
While the foreign ministry did not provide details, the junta had accused French forces of freeing captured “terrorists” and breaching a ban on the air space in an attempt to destabilise the country.
Niger’s military had also accused the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, of aligning its troops with a foreign entity whom it did not mention.
Notably, France, the former colonial power in Niger, had condemned the coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and called for an immediate return to constitutional government.
