President Bola Tinubu has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to initiate a series of financial sanctions against individuals and entities associated with the leaders of the coup that truncated the democratic order in Niger Republic.
Special Adviser to the President on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, who made this known on Tuesday while speaking with Wewsmen at the State House, Abuja, while not giving details of the sanctions, however, maintained that they were being instituted under the authority of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
This move is in addition to electricity transmission already cut by Nigeria to Niger, its northern neighbor to pressurize the military to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
According to Ngelale: “The news is that Mr. President has directed the acting CBN governor to levy another slew of sanctions against entities and individuals associated with the military junta in Niger Republic.
“I said that intentionally. I didn’t make a mistake, because I was given permission to make that statement and I emphasize 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 about financial sanctions being levied by the ECOWAS Member States against the military junta in Niger Republic.
“There is an authority that we are standing on. It is not Nigerian government authority, it is the authority of the resolution passed in public before now.”
