AN attempted escape by deposed president Mohamed Bazoum from Niger was thwarted by the country’s military administration, according to an official statement.
Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane, the government spokesperson, revealed that Bazoum, along with his family, two cooks, and two security personnel, made a carefully planned escape attempt during the early hours of Thursday. The escape plot was swiftl
y and decisively foiled by the Nigerien defence and security forces, Abdramane announced on national television.
‘The situation is under control, and the main perpetrators of the escape attempt, as well as their accomplices, were arrested,’ Abdramane confirmed. He also disclosed that a public prosecutor had initiated an investigation to shed further light
on the circumstances of the escape attempt.
According to Abdramane, Bazoum had intended to flee to Nigeria using a helicopter belonging to a foreign power. The escape plan was centred on evacuating Bazoum from the Tchangarey neighborhood, located on the northern outskirts of the capital, Niamey.
Niger experienced political upheaval on July 26 when General Abdourahamane Tchiani, a former commander of the presidential guard, led a military intervention that resulted in the ousting of President Mohamed Bazoum.
