Just in: Sanusi ex-Kano emir meets with Niger military leaders

Just in: Sanusi ex-Kano emir meets with Niger military leaders

Former Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi, has met with the coup leaders in Niger Republic.

The ex-governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) met the military leaders after the junta aborted a meeting with representatives of African Union (AU), Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and a top US diplomat, according to a report by Daily Trust on Wednesday.

The ECOWAS delegation could not broker peace with the military rulers as they declined a meeting.

Footages of Sanusi, whose Tijjaniya sect has a large following in Niger, went into circulation on Wednesday.

Sanusi met the Junta leaders along with the Sultan of Damagaran, the third largest city in Niger.

Daily Trust quotes a reliable source as saying that Sanusi went there to open the door for negotiation with the junta.

“His Highness took the trip in his personal capacity but with the knowledge of President Bola Tinubu following his concerns about the impasse and the likely consequences it is already having on Nigeria/Niger relations and the citizens of the two countries,” the source said.

The meeting came ahead of the gathering of ECOWAS leaders in Abuja on Thursday.

President Tinubu, who is the Chairman of ECOWAS, had scheduled a meeting for Thursday after the 7-day ultimatum that the regional bloc issued for the reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum elapsed.