General Abdourahmane Tchiani, leader of the Niger junta, has said the military takeover in his country saved Nigeria from an imminent disaster.
According to Sheik Bala Lau, Chairman of Jam’atul Izalatu Bida Waikamatu Sunnah, Tchiani said this during a meeting that a Nigerian delegation of clerics had with the junta in Niamey, Niger’s capital, on Saturday.
It had been reported that the Islamic scholars who met President Bola Tinubu at the presidential villa in Abuja on Friday headed for Niger.
According to Sheik Lau, Tchiani claimed the coup was well intended, adding that “they struck to starve off an imminent threat that would have affected not only the Niger Republic but also Nigeria”.
It is unclear what the junta head meant as the statement did not quote to have gone into details.
But his claim came after the Defence Headquarters said some persons were instigating the military to seize power in Nigeria.
The Director, Defence Information, Tukur Gusau, a Brigadier-General, had said there were plots from different quarters to instigate members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to overthrow the present democratic administration being led by President Bola Tinubu.