ECOWAS imposes sanctions on individuals collaborating with Niger military junta

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has imposed sanctions on individuals who are collaborating with the military junta in the Republic of Niger.

In a recent development, the leadership of ECOWAS decided on Tuesday to apply financial penalties to both individuals and entities suspected of providing support to the military junta in the Francophone nation.

Ajuri Ngelale, the special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on media and publicity, informed state house correspondents that the ECOWAS chairman has issued a directive to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the execution of these financial sanctions against the implicated parties.

However, the details of the sanctions were not explicitly disclosed by the presidential spokesperson, who also refrained from revealing the identities of the individuals affected by the sanctions.

“Mr President has directed the acting CBN governor to levy another slate of sanctions against entities and individuals associated with the military junta in Niger public,” he said.

“I said that intentionally I didn’t make a mistake, because I was given permission to make that statement and I emphasised that this is not an individual action taken by an individual president on behalf of an individual nation.

“This is an action taken yes, by the ECOWAS chairman who is the president of Nigeria, but standing on the authority provided by the consensus resolution of all ECOWAS members and heads of state with regard to financial sanctions being levied by ECOWAS members states against the military junta in Niger Republic.

“There is an authority that we are standing on. It is not the Nigerian government’s authority, it is the authority of the resolution passed in public before now.”

Ngelale said the seven-day ultimatum issued against the military junta is not a personal decision taken by Tinubu but that of ECOWAS.

“Concerning the ultimatum given to the military Junta in Niger Republic, it is an ECOWAS mandate, and it is not a Nigerian ultimatum. It is not a Nigerian mandate,” he said.

“And the office of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also serving as the chairman of ECOWAS, to emphasise this point, that due to certain domestic and international media coverage, tending toward personalisation of the ECOWAS sub-regional position to his person and to our nation individually.

“It is because of this that Mr President has deemed it necessary to state unequivocally that the mandate and ultimatum issued by ECOWAS is that of ECOWAS’ position.”