Nigerian emir says in Niamey for mediation with coup leaders

Nigeria’s former emir of the northern city of Kano said Wednesday that he was in Niger’s capital of Niamey to hold mediation talks with military leaders who staged a coup there two weeks ago.

“We have spoken to the head of state”, the new strongman General Abdourahamane Tiani, and will deliver a “message” to Nigeria President Bola Tinubu, said the former emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi on Nigerian state television, adding he was not an emissary of the government.

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His message comes on the eve of a key summit by the West African bloc ECOWAS on resolving the latest crisis in the Sahel, which will be chaired by Tinubu.

Sanusi is known to be a close friend of Tinubu, who is a former governor of his home state of Lagos.

“We came hoping that our arrival will pave the way for real discussions between the leaders of Niger and those of Nigeria,” Sanusi said.

Tinubu has said that diplomacy is “the best way forward,” though ECOWAS has warned of a potential military intervention to restore Niger’s elected government.

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