David Hundeyin, a famous Nigerian investigative journalist, has warned the Nigerian government against sanctioning a military invasion of the neighbouring Niger Republic.
Hundeyin was reacting to the resolutions of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), one of which was a military invasion.
ECOWAS leaders had imposed economic sanctions on the junta in the tiny West African nation, promising to invade the country and dislodge the coup plotters if they failed to vacate the presidential palace.
Hundeyin noted that the threats do not make sense, warning that any military action would hurt Nigeria’s stability.
His words:
”Niger is almost the same geographical size as Nigeria. It has a largely unpoliced border with Libya which is still in near-total chaos and crawling with every armed non-state actor under the sun.
”In other words, Niger is basically Nigeria’s only semi-reliable buffer against the Infinity Wars of the North Sahara. If Niger is destabilised in any way, Nigeria is toast.
”There has been a coup which has been well received by the citizens. The country is still relatively stable. Nigeria needs to take that win and shut up.
”We need to stop trying to flex muscles; we don’t have to prove a nonexistent point about an “ECOWAS” where member states still close borders against each other. Talk to that regime in Niamey politely.”
He added that with the current situation, Nigeria and its West African allies are not in a bargaining position.
His submission comes on a day the military governments in Mali and Burkina Faso openly backed the coup plotters in the Niger Republic.
According to international relations experts, the latest development has further polarised the West African sub-region.