Niger Crisis: Tinubu Meets With Muslim Clerics

President Bola Tinubu is meeting with a delegation of
Nigerian Muslim leaders (Ulama) led by Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, at the State
House, Abuja.

The purpose of the Ulamas’ meeting with President Tinubu,
who is the Chairman of the ECOWAS’ Authority of Heads of State and Government,
was to brief him on the outcome of their visit to Niger Republic over the
political situation in the country.

The group of Islamic clerics had offered to interface with
the coup leaders in Niger Republic on behalf of the Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS), got the approval and actually interacted with the
General Abdourahamane Tchiani-led junta in Niger Republic.

The Ulamas, who are opposed to war with the Nigerien
military, as threatened by ECOWAS, said that apart from the dire consequences
of armed conflict, they were enjoined by their religious faith and the Quran to
seek mediation first in cases like this before resorting to war.

ECOWAS had also taken steps to show its disapproval of the
military takeover of power in Niger by imposing a series of sanctions and an
ultimatum, which the body threatened could lead to an armed response.

Details later…