Soldiers in Niger claim to have overthrown President Mohamed Barzoum | Politics News

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,

Group of soldiers appear on national television to announce the toppling of Barzoum’s government as ECOWAS condemns ‘attempted coup d’etat’.

Soldiers in Niger claim to have removed President Mohamed Bazoum from power, hours after members of the presidential guard detained the politician in his official residence.

Reading from a statement late on Wednesday, Colonel Amadou Abdramane said “we the defence and security forces… have decided to put an end” to Barium’s regime.

Abdramane was seated and flanked by nine other officers wearing fatigues.

He said the country’s borders are closed and a nationwide curfew declared, and all institutions of the republic were suspended.

The soldiers warned against any foreign intervention.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union both decried what they called an “attempted coup d’etat”.

More soon…