An attempt by deposed Niger’s ousted President, Mohammed Bazoum, to escape from custody has been foiled, says the country’s military juntas in a national broadcast late on Thursday.
Bazoum, who was toppled by a military coup in July this year, went hiding on the outskirts of Niamey in a bid to fly towards neighboring Nigeria with a helicopter.
Amadou Abdramane, the military regime’s spokesperson, said in a state television broadcast that Bazoum and his accomplice had been arrested, with a full investigation launched into the matter.
“At around three in the morning, the ousted president Mohamed Bazoum and his family, his two cooks, and two security elements tried to escape from his place of detention.”
“The escape bid failed, and the main actors and some of the accomplices
“The escape plan had involved Bazoum at first getting to a hideout on the outskirts of the capital, Niamey, said Abdramane.”
“They had then planned to fly out on helicopters “belonging to a foreign power” towards Nigeria, he added, denouncing Bazoum’s “irresponsible attitude.”
Nigeria, through President Bola Tinubu as the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has been at the forefront of the release of Bazoum and the restoration of democracy.
