By Ologeh Joseph Chibu
Any Military attack on Niger Republic will be seen as an attack on Northern Nigeria, former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has said.
He made this known in a tweet he posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter monitored by Irohinodua.
El Rufai appears to reflect the popular opinion in Northern Nigeria and even among leaders in the Southern part of the country.
The Ethnic Configuration in Niger is Hausa 53.1%, Zarma/Songhai 21.2%, Tuareg 11% , Fulani 6.5%, Kanuri 5.9%, Gurma 0.8%, Arab 0.4%, Tubu 0.4%, the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum is Arab, the current Military leader Abdourahamane Tchiani is Hausa, while El-Rufai is a Fulani man.
Former Nigerian Military ruler Abdulsalami Abubakar who led a peace mission to Niger came back with the same message: ‘Do not attack Niger’.
Two weeks ago the former Emir of Kano Lamido Sanusi also visited Niger after which he met President Bola Ahmed Tinubu indicating overwhelming resistance by the northern ruling class against any military action.
The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS has already imposed sanctions on Niger amidst warnings of a possible military strike.
El-Rufai tweeted, “As ECOWAS beats the drums of war, I recall the 1970s rock classic by Dire Straits – ‘Brothers in Arms’, because a war within our subregion is a war between brothers. Indeed, the people of Niger Republic are one and the same with those living in Northern Nigeria.”
He said further “Let us bend therefore over backwards to avoid this civil war between brothers.”
