Coup Attempt? – Worries As Guards Seal Off Niger President Bazoum’s Residence, Office

Concerns have been raised as members of the elite Presidential Guard reportedly blocked the access roads to the residence and offices of Niger President Mohamed Bazoum.

Naija News learnt that there was no special deployment of military or gunfire incidents at the reported spots, but Bazoum’s official home and offices in the presidential complex in Niamey were sealed off on Wednesday morning.

A source close to Bazoum said they could not confirm the reason for the latest development yet.

“It’s a fit of temper by the Presidential Guard, but talks are underway with the president,” AFP journalists reported.

“The president is fine. He’s safe and sound,” a presidential source who pleaded anonymity told journalists. He added, saying the President and his family were at the residence.

Naija News understands that the landlocked West African state is one of the most unstable nations in the world, experiencing four coups since independence from France in 1960 as well as numerous other attempts at power.

Recall that Bazoum was democratically elected in 2021.

Coups In The Republic of Niger

Niger’s most recent coup occurred in February 2010 when the then-president Mamadou Tandja was overthrown.

There was another attempted putsch on March 31, 2021, just two days before Bazoum’s inauguration, according to a security source at the time.

Several people, including the suspected ringleader, an air force captain named Sani Gourouza, were reportedly arrested at the time. He was arrested in neighbouring Benin and handed over to the Niger authorities.

Ousmane Cisse, a former interior minister under a military government of transition that ran from 2010-2011, was later detained for his suspected role in the attempted coup.

Naija News understands that a second bid to oust Bazoum occurred in March 2023 while the president was in Turkey. A Niger official who reportedly confirmed the development said an arrest was made.

The authorities have never commented publicly on the incident, this publication understands.

In January 2018, nine soldiers and a civilian were sentenced by a military court to jail terms ranging from five to 15 years for having attempted to topple Bazoum’s predecessor, Mahamadou Issoufou, in 2015.

Those convicted included General Souleymane Salou, former army chief of staff and a member of the junta that had forced out Tandja in 2010.